November 28, 2017 by Amy
What did I forget?
I’m taking a break from stripping The Christmas Tree From Hell because I made a commitment to write every day and somehow that’s stronger than my intense and utter hatred of this stupid tree. It better look damn good with its giant multi-colored lights after this is all over.
So, now I just need to figure out a subject on which I can write. Preferably something interesting and that sounds somewhat intelligent. The odds of that happening are slim to none, since it’s closing in on 11 p.m. and I’m tired.
I had an 8 a.m. meeting at Zoe’s school today, with the other class chairs and vice chairs and the dean of the middle school. As the vice chair of the 6th grade class, I am asked to attend these monthly meetings. I didn’t know what to expect, especially since last year was our first year as a family at the school. My only experiences with parent meetings at a school were at Zoe’s old school, and at the school where I used to work. Neither were very positive, so I suppose I had an idea that I wouldn’t find these meetings particularly enjoyable. Turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I’ve really enjoyed these meetings, which has been a pleasant surprise. I have gotten to meet parents in the other middle school grades and hear their ideas on how to improve the experience for both students and parents. The dean of the middle school is genuinely interested in what we have to say, actively seeking feedback both about specific events and in general. This morning was no exception, and I experienced my usual moment of panic and fear that I really shouldn’t be in those meetings because I have only been there for a little over a year and don’t know how it all works. Today’s topic: rising parent meetings.
When you near the end of a school year, your student’s status changes from the grade she’s currently in to the grade she’s matriculating to, with the word “rising” tacked on to the front. So, Zoe is now in 6th grade, but come Aprilish, she’ll be a rising 7th grader. (Yes, this freaks me out to no end…how on earth can my child be this old?)
Each year, the school hosts a meeting near the end of the school year to prepare parents and students for the next school year, outlining expectations and providing helpful tips. Our chair meeting this morning had discussing the spring rising parent meeting on the agenda. The dean launched into it, inviting our feedback as usual. Lots of good ideas, and I sat there frantically trying to figure out what the hell this meeting is about. I couldn’t for the life of me remember attending it last spring, when Zoe was a rising 6th grader. How could I not remember this? It’s situations like this that set me to wondering if my memory loss is a function of age or if there’s something seriously wrong. I lost track of the meeting for a moment while beating myself up about not remembering this meeting before I realized that the reason I don’t remember it is because I didn’t attend it. I had to work that night, and M went. Which I can almost guarantee resulted in this conversation at home after:
Me: How did it go?
Him: Fine.
Me: What did they talk about?
Him: Nothing.
Me: Well, they had to talk about something.
Him: It was stuff we already know. Hey, are we out of toothpaste?
I felt a sudden whoosh of relief, sitting there in that meeting. I’m not losing my mind after all. I did forget something, though. Last spring I forgot to send a tape recorder with my husband to a meeting I couldn’t attend. Lesson learned.
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