Snow Days

So, what does the school principal do on a snow day? Puts out his back! I imagine this is different in a large school, as my friend Norman is finding out. I don't think that this is how Bruce Stewart spent his day. Back in the WEHS days, when we rented, it was someone else's responsibility to clear the walkways, and when I had several teenagers under my roof I could always count on cheap labor. But no longer, though I shouldn't complain, as the extra hours of sleep were welcome. Though sometimes it would be nice to spend the whole day on the sofa reading!

What a country!

Has there ever in history been a country capable of self-correction like America? Last Tuesday's inauguration was truly an amazing experience, one I thought I'd never see. True, it took a disastrous eight years to open the more conservative parts of the country to see the value of having a smart capable leader (that's the cynic in me), but nonetheless America has a black president. How remarkable!

The day was inspiring as well, despite the hassles of getting through security to get to the mall. Metro did a fantastic job getting the four of us (including my wife, my son, and his friend who's a girl, but not a girlfriend), along with a million others, into and out of the city with relatively little difficulty. The less said about the ridiculous level of security fences and barriers the better... no reason to spoil a nice memory, but I sure am glad we didn't take the whole school!

Now, of course, the hard work starts. It's good to see Obama treating our current crisis for the opportunity it is. We have the chance to create some long overdue changes amidst the crisis, and I think our president has the vision and discipline to do it. Will our attention challenged culture allow the necessary time for change to take place? Stay tuned.

Photo essays

There's a nice new photo essay series beginning in the NY Times today (page A21) which can be seen at nytimes.com/onein8. Also a nice "portrait a day" series about the people of Hamilton Ontario at hamilton365.com.

Life goes on

Our second First Friday Reunion was, as it was last year, a delightful evening for me. It's great to see old, er, former students who've gone on to create interesting lives for themselves. Keith and Johanna, both WEHS alums from the late '90's, returned married and with a brand new baby! To my knowledge this is a first (though Eberhard folks may wish to correct me). One of our former students has even started a Facebook group of former WEHS students, with 22 new members in the first day. Thanks Alexis!

Happy New Year?

Well, it's got to be better than the old year for some of us. Between our personal retirement losses and the at-large economic anxiety, 2008 is best left behind. The new year promises great opportunity with what promises to be an historic presidency and a renewed emphasis on timeless virtues. Whether our attention deficit society can sustain living within our means and without high drama is a question for another day.

The new years traditionally brings with it a renewed attention to personal growth in the form of the ubiquitous "New Years' Resolutions"... and as always, I'm game. Once again I'll try to lose the 50 pounds I've put on since my headship began and my marathoning career ended (not coincidentally at the same time). As with so many things, self-discipline is the key. I've begun a personal photo-a-day project which will hopefully appear from time to time here, another exercise in self-discipline. Is there a theme here?

My first photo of the year is posted here. It captures for me the essence of 2008 for my family, the loss of my mother to a heart attack and my daughter to college. This was taken New Year's Day evening, after we took Christina back to Dickinson, where the women's basketball team was beginning practice again. We checked in with her later that night via Skype, which allows us to videoconference with her from her dorm room. Here, my father, alone for his first holiday season in 52 years, is chatting with her from our family room. What a world we live in! Like fish surrounded by water, we are largely oblivious to the change we are living through. Dad's father was born 24 years after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. What will world be like when Christina is 82 and tells her grandchildren that her father was born 12 years after World War II? Will it seem like as much of a throwback? And by what means will she tell them?