I've Had Enough
This week an old friend came to town -- a writer whose satirical columns I've been able to include in my online Happy Camp News several times in past years.I soon learned he's working on a larger project having to do with problems in our country's educational system. I could relate! I told him and a mutual friend that I'm the only person in our town that's signed the Proclamation for the Separation of School and State. I signed four or five years ago, and am deeply supportive of this effort.
The next day I mentioned to the mutual friend that I'd like for my daughter to get tired of the school rules/environment, and decide to stay home again. "But why?" he asked me. "Isn't that her only social life?"
"Not really," I said. "She is in a special program and there are only three people in her class." I didn't mention that one of the three has been her arch-enemy for years. "I prefer homeschooling," I mentioned before dropping the subject. I still homeschool my son - it is only my teenage daughter who is dipping into public education for variety, and I let her make her own decisions in educational matters at this point. She's 16.
Naturally this conversation and the shocked look on my friend's face - that look of total non-understanding of my homeschool philosophy - stayed with me for hours and then days.
When you feel something deeply, and know your friends, no matter how much they respect you, just can't understand, as a writer you naturally look for a pen and notebook. And as editor of Happy Camp News I always have that public forum to express how I really feel.
So I'm working on an article about why I support the Proclamation for the Separation of School and State. On this topic, words come easily.
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