Category Archives: One-of-a-Kind

Past Tense (Less So)

September, 2010 – Parent/Teacher Conference, Meet & Greet

We were invited to a start of year conference w/ L’s first grade teacher. She actually asked us to prepare a “strengths and weaknesses” assessment. It was hard not to ask if we should add his “5-10-15 year goals.” Sadly, this is how first grade will go (a crummy teacher’s crummy).

Instead of determining those things for him, I asked L what he thought were his amazing skills, and what he might want to do a bit better. After covering drawing, math, science, drawing, humor, science, math, drawing, and science, we got to the other half:

L: “I wish I could develop more confidence. If I had more confidence, I wouldn’t have to pretend to know things I don’t, I wouldn’t have to pretend that I’m good at everything. I could make mistakes and not feel so bad. I wonder what the world would be like if everyone had more confidence. Can you imagine if we all could just keep trying and not worry about messing up? It would be awesome. That’s what I wish. I wish I had more confidence.”

Well said.

Here’s what I’m talking about

So this is why I started writing about L. For almost eight years, I’ve shared things he’s said with other people and they’ve all said, “whoa, he’s… deeeeep.” The other day, he said he very much needed a gas mask. I explained why that wouldn’t be necessary, save them for people who need them. He said, “but, mom, you really can never be too prepared.”

I fret. I tell my bestie about it. Her response: “I’m going to build a safe room.”

Me: “Don’t you think it’s odd?”

Her: “I think he knows something we don’t.”

I stockpile canned goods.