Nothing's Promised

"Those are young people's dreams," my friend told me at breakfast the other morning.

She had been catching me up on the plans of another of her friends. Our age, this woman had recently retired from the State Department and enrolled in law school. "She wants to work for the Innocence Project," my friend said, "but the average case there takes 15 years. She'll be in her late 70s by then."

Another of her friends, also our age, was working on developing an investment property he had purchased. His plan was to build a sustainable community. "He's having trouble with the permitting, though," my friend told me, "and he won't even be able to break ground for another ten years." She shook her head in dismay.

Her advice to both friends was to find something that they could do now. "We do have a shelf life, you know!"

I can see both sides. 

By some accounts, 60 is the new 40. A more comfortable life and better health care have combined to put off some of the classic complaints of aging. Sure, I and my contemporaries have a few more aches and pains, and several have even had knee and hip replacement surgery. But such procedures are so commonplace precisely because they promise to get those folks right back out there, as mobile and pain-free as ever. Since aging might feel as dramatic a decline as it once did, there's a temptation to continue operating as if we have many decades ahead of us, instead of just two or three.

My friend is right: we're not going to be around forever., and it is better to focus on the now. But that's always been the case, hasn't it?

The Check

I went to breakfast yesterday with a friend of mine. We spent an hour catching up, and at the end of the meal when our check came we owed 33 dollars for breakfast. 

We agreed to split the bill evenly. "I have cash," said my friend. "I'll leave the tip." She put seven dollars on the table. 

"I'm going to put my half on my card," I said.

"Do you want me just to give you cash?" she asked.

"That works," I shrugged. 

"Half of 40 is 20," she noted, and handed me a twenty dollar bill.

I nodded and accepted the cash, and then paid with my card at the counter. 

It wasn't until this morning when I saw the twenty on my nightstand that I realized I owe my friend seven bucks!

Gotcha

After nearly three years of avoiding the virus, Heidi tested positive for COVID this afternoon. She was feeling a little poorly with a headache that wouldn't quit, and so, out of caution, she pulled out one of the home tests and swabbed her nose. It was honestly a bit surreal to see the two pink lines on that square white lollipop, a sight I had only seen once before, when my nephew tested positive at Christmas in 2021. 

Heidi is sure she caught the 'rona at the Seinfeld show last Saturday. The venue seemed airy and well-ventilated, but the seats were very, very close together. No matter the where and the when, though, here we are: Heidi with mild systems, in a mask, spending her time upstairs, making sub plans for at least 2 days, and I with no symptoms and a negative test, so far, canceling a planned visit to my 86-year-old aunt, and mulling what those sixth graders might do, should I have to miss nearly a week. 

Because, really? What are the chances I'm going to get out of this COVID-free?

Condolences Accepted

"You guys need to hurry up and be on time to your next class!" I called as the bell rang at the end of my last class of the day. "I need to run to a meeting!"

A student did a double take at the news. "Wait! You have meetings when we are in PE and electives?" she asked.

"Yep," I answered, "almost every day."

"I'm so sorry," she said, and it really sounded like she meant it.

Trending Now

Our warm-up question today was What is the next trend that is going to blow up? I figured it was tangentially related to commercials and media literacy, plus, I was curious. 

Rhianna and her baby, Kevin Durant joining the Suns, the new Antman movie, plaid, Cobra Kai, Crocs, AI, EVs, Wednesday Adams, Jaritos Nike Dunks, TikToks of Free Palestine, and side ponytails were all on the list.

Stranger Things, the fifth season, was a very popular prediction, but equally so was Ginny and Georgia, a show that often shows up in my Netflix feed, but I've never seen it. I may have to watch after all the rave reviews I heard today, including, "I watch it with my cousin, and I loved it. (She is older so she didn't show me the mushy gushy things for me to stay HOLY!) Amen!"

I also had to laugh at this prediction: "More baggy clothes, because they are so comfortable, and I can't believe they will ever go out of style."

The 90s might have something to say about that, kid.

Fond Memories

One of the commercial production teams needed a location for their ad that could be a party. I suggested Heidi's room, because of the LED lights and they went to get her permission. I knew there was a class in there at that time, but my 6th grade students invited her 8th grade students to be extras in the party scene, so it worked out. 

Treat is the assistant in the class, and he told me that after the commercial team team left, the 8th graders were reminiscing.

"That was a fun project!" said one.

"Yeah it was," agreed another. "What was your product?"

"I don't remember," the first kid answered. "What was yours?"

"I don't remember either," the second kid said. "But it was really fun making those commercials!"

Here's the thing-- those kids were in my English class when they were sixth graders, but it was the year we were virtual until March, so we didn't get to do the commercials.

I'm glad they think they enjoyed it, though!

Misuse of Wardrobe

"We need all the costumes for our commercial!" one group told me today.

"How could you?" I asked, looking over at the judge's robe, the chef's jacket, the cowpoke vest, the velvet vest, the construction vest, the blue scrubs, the white lab coat, the fancy blazer, and the three aprons, not to mention all 12 hats. "There are only 4 people in your group!"

"Oh, we're trying to make a closet," they explained. "Somebody's going to be in there."

"We have closets out in the hall," I told them.

"That would be better," they agreed.