I don't understand why people make a big fuss over it. I'll be more prone to celebrate his last day of school, or whatever gets him out and on his own! (I'm sure my sentiments about this will change as he gets older though!)
I guess maybe if he had never entered the voluntary pre-Kindergarten program I'd probably think that there was something magical about this day, but really, there isn't. As far as I know, my parents didn't do anything special for my first day of school. Hell, the day my mother went into labor with at least one of us, my father simply dropped her off at the hospital and went off to work. (In his defense, He was in the military, and besides - there are five kids in our family - the act of childbirth had probably lost its luster by that point.)
I am going to his orientation this Friday and if I'm excited about anything, it's about his education and doing my best to be involved in his studies. I'm even contemplating joining the PTA, which he'll probably seriously hate me for doing when he hits fifth grade, or so. More exciting than that is the fact that he's excited, although when he peered into the building the other day, he said in a rather unamused voice, "This is kindergarten?" I don't blame that on him though. I'm not exactly sure why the first year of school sounds something like an amusement park full of magic and wonder.
I spoke with the music teacher who asked if I played any instruments. I told her that I mess around on the piano, drums, and guitar, so she suggested that I be featured with Christian one day. I told her I would definitely look into it if Christian ever were to get seriously interested in any one instrument. I really want to be involved in his education, and part of that has to do with feeling a bit more empowered by the fact that I can make a difference in my child's life if I help guide him the right way, and help him to feel that education is as fundamental to his existence as breathing is. Not to mention, the more successful he is, the better off he'll be and the sooner I can stop supporting him. Okay, that's not entirely the motivational source behind my enthusiasm, even if partially so.
What does motivate me to ensure that Christian isn't a complete dolt when he's older? Besides the obvious answers, I look at the vast majority of idiots in this country and I often find many recurring attributes. One of them is that they don't have an education (or at least, value it very little) and when they vote, they often give more weight to issues that will have the least positive net impact on our society as a whole. It's these wedge issues that drive people and I can't get past the fact that Karl Rove, our president's old political strategist, and really, many politicians in general -- they know this. They play into the fears of those who are ignorant or that are so faithfully bound in voting solely with their religious interest in mind (and often without consideration for their economic interests), they ironically enable more 'evil' and unjustified actions to be performed as a result. Talk about a paradox. Or just plain stupidity? I will not get into specifics, but I think you get what I mean.
As Tony Benn said in Sicko, "An educated, healthy and confident nation is harder to govern."
Here's to our children being harder to govern. Heaven knows they give us hell, they should do the same for their government.
Make me proud, Christian. Go get 'em!
(Or just go do your ABC's in the meantime. Sorry, I got a little overbearing with your responsibilities for a second there.)
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