My kids go to public school. Yes, public school. In Texas. For those of you that may blanch at that statement, consider that their school, Walnut Glen Academy for Excellence, is an incredible school. http://www.garlandisdschools.net/page.cfm?p=2839 shows you the awards they’ve won, and it’s in a vibrant, multicultural neighborhood. Frankly, I have more of an issue with the suburban schools that are almost uniformly upper-middle class, the same color, driving the same minivans or SUVs, etc. But the school where Jacob went to kindergarten was one of those, and it all felt… staged. All the mothers wore the same workout clothes when dropping off their kids, and they all had the same Starbucks cups coming to pick them up. To me, it just seemed like a bland lifestyle devoted to the pursuit of the material as opposed to something that might matter more–designer sunglasses instead of souls.
At Walnut Glen, it’s a melting pot. The school has at least one ESL teacher per grade level, and kids of all nations get in. Jacob and Jessie are exposed to more cultures than I ever was as a kid, and I’m pretty certain that’s a good thing.
Speaking of cultures, I have to state the obvious. Wal-Mart drives me insane. The monopsony that it is just drives me into a state of rage at lowest dollar quality for things. Yes, they’re cheap. Yes, there’s a reason why. I shop there when I have to, but I don’t like it. Part of me gets anxious in crowds, and when those crowds have four-wheeled weapons (some of them motorized)… So I’m a hypocrite. I can’t stand a place, but I go there when I need to because when the quality doesn’t matter, the cheapskate in me deals with the anxiety.
Then there’s Target. Expect a 20 percent markup over Wal-Mart, but fewer people shopping. I did see a really large rat run through the baked goods the last time I was there, though.
I love my wife. She keeps me sane.