Of all my friends and family, only one other friend decided to homeschool his kids. And that, only this year.  And that, even though he's not admitting it, is because he's been battling a brain tumor for the last 10 years and is probably going to succumb soon. Which is rather disturbing and I apologize. But it illustrates my point clearly.   None of the people I loved before we became homeschoolers homeschool. Except this one extreme case.

Every one of these people I have always loved loathed school themselves, of course. Everyone knows its loathsome.  It crippled a few of them.  It had nothing much to offer the rest.  And yet they all choose it now.  I can not see that fact and fail to notice I may be the one who is wrong.  At least, its obvious my family has chosen the strange odd unusual weird way.   If you are the odd duck, you may be the wrong duck.  This does not escape my notice.  

When I say bad things about the industrialization of childhood and education, I don't worry about any of the children I love.  They are, each one uniquely, children of wonderful smart loving parents.   They will all be fine.  I'm not criticizing any of these families or their choices. 

But I am enormously critical of the system.  Obviously.  And I feel compelled to say so in a broad way to no one specifically.  Again and again and again, apparently.  I suppose, because I can not make sense of it.  I see the system.  I see the children. The situation makes me ache.  And worry. I don't worry for the children I love, their parents are looking out for them.  I worry and ache for the broader implications for our society and all children in general.  I don't think policy has risen to meet the innate excellence of the children.  

That's it really. My entire adult life has been devoted to children, both professionally and as a mother. My experience and expectation of children is excellent. Why put them in a system which assumes (and sadly tends to nurture) their duller aspects? I do. not. understand.  

"Today, like every other day, we wake up empty

and frightened.  Don't open the door to the study

and begin reading.  Take down a musical instrument.

Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground"

~Rumi