The morning started off normally enough – I’ve been getting up for school for 8 days now – but today was a little different. Today, after I dropped The Boy off, I dropped Maggie off for her first day of her last year at CMP. Just like I thought I’d be fine at Ethan’s graduation (I wasn’t), I wasn’t “fine” here, either.. and it became evident as I merged onto Highway 50 and “Grease is the Word” was just finishing (which made me think “are we ever gonna see each other again?”) and the misty eyes started a bit. The next song was Scorpions “Winds of Change”, which flooded my mind with memories of my own senior year in high school – the year the wall fell in Berlin(so much symbolic transference here). When a Prince song followed, I just gave up and shut the radio off., No use bawling before work.
Work today was based on cultural sensitivity (something often lacking in this country), trauma informed care and the fabulous DSM-5. I like to believe I do fairly well with the cultural training, yet as for trauma-informed care, there is so much I need to learn. I am still picking up so many of the pieces from grad school because reading about something doesn’t make it stick – it is the a
pplication of such which counts. And then there’s the fact that while I love learning, my brain is still not in operating mode, hence by the end of the day, a fierce headache had ensued.
Consult with our clinic’s PCIT (parent-child interaction therapy) wizards and then I pondered – was there time to get my car washed? I notice that STFO (scoot the fuck over, for all those left-lane drivers) is as oft a used phrase as STFU. I barely made it out on time and by the time I got home, the guy was already here (someone sent out to check out the irrigation issue – for such an expensive house and so many plants, this is the lamest thing I’ve ever seen). I also got a text from L to pick up Mags at volleyball, so I headed out again and met him to get Ethan. He had taken Ethan to his physician and Ethan’s weekend abdominal hernia issue was actually more-likely a pulled muscle, which is a relief.
Lanky Miss Mags finished with volleyball at 5:30 and as Ethan went in to pick her up, I chuckled to myself – this kid who hated school so much (still probably does, though I hope high school is different for him) was back on campus day 1 of school. As I cooked dinner, Ethan cheerfully helped prep despite already having eaten a nutritious Del Taco meal with dad (sarcasm!!!). I like this high school boy – the snarky comments with that smile, the dishes piled up in his room (just as mine were when I was his age). I think empathy and remembering we did the SAME DAMN THING goes a loooonnngggway in having high schoolers. As for Mags – that girl will hit “that age” and “that phase” I know, as I have already encountered a few. I will survive and so will they.
Now – a final and important topic. Left lane driving. This IS my pet peeve and every time I am on the freeway I think that something must be done. I’ve considered writing “Right > Drive, Left< Pass” with shoe polish, or a poster with something similar. The right lane is for driving and the left lane is for passing! That being said, the state of California has a considerably horrible habit of driving wherever the hell they feel like (the right lane is 
generally free except for a few cars while the right lane is filled with cars). I think I would like to start something which helps re-educate drivers that using the left lane only for passing results in a much smoother commute, less anger from other drivers attempting to pass left –lane drivers (I personally have no knowledge of this experience). Imagine how traffic would be lessened! My goal is to get the CA law changed . My second goal is to get out of this state to a state which has such a sensible law or Switzerland:
“The Uniform Vehicle Code states: Upon all roadways any vehicle proceeding at less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing shall be driven in the right-hand lane then available for traffic … This law refers to the “normal” speed of traffic, not the “legal” speed of traffic. The 60 MPH driver in a 55 MPH zone where everybody else is going 65 MPH must move right.” http://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html
Pictures: The moon is so much more beautiful than in these photos; Wicked Tree is standing tall…; It’s true, ya know.
tribeoftrio.com 