CHARvsGRAVITY

So, because I basically work from home, I’m free every day to pick them up. I walk. The school is only two blocks from the house. It’s not a problem. Besides, it’s easier because other kids being picked up by car cause a lot of congestion so I end up getting home way before they even leave parking lot. 

It was raining really hard one day so I took the truck. When I got there, I parked and went to the waiting area and met with the other parents. Some I usually talk to also walk because they live either closer or on the same street as I do. I remember they asked why I decided to drive this time. I just kind of gestured to the rain. 

And one of them goes “well I had to walk in the rain when I was a kid.” 

And I just said, “yeah, so did I, and it sucked. Why am I going to make them do it too?” 

And like, sure, I understand being a little bitter that you had to go through that only for the standards to change, that the things you’re into are cool now just one short generation after being cool mattered to you. And you’re allowed to be upset about that, I guess, even if you don’t have anyone to blame. What’s considered cool changes over time, that’s just how society works. 

But he takes it out on the kids. Like for some reason it’s their fault that they’re not being treated as badly as he was. That they’re somehow not real nerds because they haven’t had to fight for it. There’s so much anger in him about this and I don’t understand it. Overall, this is an improvement. We didn’t just switch what was cool. We don’t hail the gamers and computer programmers and stuff all the football players into trash cans in the hallway. Jocks and cheerleaders are still cool, but now being a nerd is cool too. That is a net gain in the number of people not being picked on for their hobbies.