I am notoriously unfeeling. Alexis says, “But that’s just Caroline,” whenever someone complains about me seeming callous. I can be pretty excellent at eliminating emotion and getting down to it, tearing through problems and blatantly telling people they’re wrong.
But every once in a while something will sneak up, and it’s like havingĀ thumbs gripping your shoulder-blades and fingers stretched from behind, across collar bones, then slamming you down into the earth. You’re wrong.
I can’t imagine the high school teachers, when grades and graduation become so intense, and parents spit fire about homework. This is a new feeling, to give a student a zero because no name was placed on it and have a very rational parent who I have had a great relationship call today to first tell me she would directly refuse to schedule a meeting to discuss it (“I’m coming now”), second hang up on me mid-sentence, and third say about my policies, “But doesn’t that sound insane?”
Well, no. Not if your child wants to succeed in college, or life, or get any credit for a scholarship application or anything else important. If she doesn’t learn to put her name on her paper now, even if it’s the first and only time she forgot, when will she?
Granted, I’m stubborn. Stubborn because I’m obsessed with rules, because I like having reasons for things, I like black and white. All other students that didn’t put names on got zeros because I threw their paper out. This girl’s I happened to give back because I recognized her handwriting. Mistake.
But I completely appreciate and admire the determined parent. I would much, much rather have this than the parent I’ve literally been calling twice a week for the past five weeks all to no answer.
Last, if you’re wondering how Brax is doing…
Totally with you, man. Parents get to me.