The Worst Report Card I Ever Received

I am leaving on a jet plane again but require a different set of clothing than the last time so I dig through a drawer looking for the long shoe horn that makes it easier to put on a pair of boots when I come across it.

The worst report card I ever received.

I look at the grades and laugh at the D- I received from a graphics teacher who had a personal issue with me or so I recall.

For a moment I try to ascertain if I really remember what happened 28 years ago but I am not sure that I do and that makes me laugh again.

Why?

Because I know he told me this would be a lesson I would take with me forever and it had zero impact upon me.

And because I know I told him he was sorely mistaken if he thought his silly grade would bother me as I thought and still think they are meaningless.

Got a NC, C, B and an A on that particular card as well, not that you asked.

Twenty-eight years later I shared the card with my kids and told them to work hard and remember the ephemeral and almost useless nature of grades.

Report Cards That Matter

Should be packing, should be preparing but I am taking a moment to write more posts because Music city calls and I will answer.

In between a recollection of a Vince Millay poem seems like it might lead in to commentary about more important report cards.

What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why,
I have forgotten, and what arms have lain
Under my head till morning; but the rain
Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh
Upon the glass and listen for reply,
And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain
For unremembered lads that not again
Will turn to me at midnight with a cry.

Would I dare to comment and provide more specific details about those who I recollect and those I don’t or will I simply move on.

*****

Had to buy a new wallet because the old one died. Said thanks to Amazon Prime and spent five minutes setting up the new one.

Spent ten times as long trying to decide which one I wanted to pick up as a replacement for the old one as I couldn’t find the same unit.

Was irritated to spend that long, but because it was purchased online and not in person I had to take a few minutes to try and decipher whether I thought it would really meet my needs.

Were I not getting on that jet plane I might have gone looking for it in person, but nothing breaks when it is convenient and I am in go mode.

There are important tasks ahead of me and I am focused on knocking down walls and running through obstacles to make a few things happen.

That is what happens when overload hits, I find a cave or decide to create space by plowing through the confusion and clearing schedules.

Make It Yours

Sometimes I get irritated with covers of songs I like, but some artists understand how to add their own twist in a pleasant way to that which came before.

I can appreciate it.

“Make it yours” is something I think about as a creator…often.

Glen Campbell does a pretty good job with a variety of them, always liked this one too.

And if you like Bread and Glen Campbell you might like this.

Notes Or An Outline

I rarely write with notes or an outline but there are moments where it is worth doing because it helps provide continuity when your time and thought process gets interrupted.

This post is a good example of that, I have been knocked off the writing a dozen times and don’t remember what or where I intended to go.

So I am winging it.

I could tell you about the luggage issue and how I pulled some pieces out of the garage that used to belong to my folks.

Could tell you about how I discovered gifts from my dad in the pieces and how the miscellaneous packing cubes, clocks, bandaids and rubber bands made me smile and miss him.

Found all sorts of treasures and was surprised how I went from smiling to feeling kind of sad. It is only 18 months but so much has happened that I never got to share, tell him about or ask his opinion on.

It obviously bothers me, but life keeps going and so do I. No reason to lie down and quit.

He’d dig himself out and come after me or haunt me but that is not enough to motivate me. Nah, I got yelled at more than once and did what I was going to do anyway and got yelled at again.

No, I am motivated because I think I found something and can’t know for certain unless I keep going. If I am correct, if I am right and this is what I think I have to keep going because I would be a fool not to.

And if I am wrong, well I’ll find out and deal with that then but I don’t think so.

So screw that professor and the ridiculous D- he gave me. I should have filed a grievance and given him one more kick in the ass.

But I didn’t and it doesn’t matter because 28 years later I have ample accomplishments and that grade did nothing to slow me down or prevent me from moving ahead.

So here goes nothing, one more step towards the future to find out if head, heart and gut are correct.