the comma in god rest ye merry, gentlemen
Dec. 18th, 2025 09:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alicevangeline(There is a fun video song about that. )
The relation here to the rest of the blog is the 'pretending we don't know' kind of thing with it. So this is going to be kind of a long one, and I'm going to be a little gentle* with myself about taking the time to write it, because these are not usual times and taking a few minutes to THINK is a worthy accommodation and investment in me not having crying jags or panic attacks. (TBH, since I've started ADHD medication, I am doing a lot better with those things - I think it's because I used to FORCE myself to focus, using discipline and willpower, and I'd use it all up but still have to Do Things. So my brain would be worn out and pushed beyond its limits and then I'd have feelings to deal with.).
*Ok, thinking the word 'gentle' led to a connect-the-dots that eventually led to the song & subjectline.
Pretending We Don't Know
(or, remember Dr. Weknowdis?)
One of the problems when you work for the school district that you live in (and that your child/ren attend) is that when stuff goes down, you get a double whammy of job being affected and kid's education being affected. (Also being in HR.) I think I can write this in the way I do below, and not get in trouble if I ever get doxxed. Here's my structure: the public already knows some things, and there are logical conclusions to reach.
Actual Uncertainty
Parentally, my daughter might go to the public school next year - or she might not. (First because Cool Charter School in City A is likely a better fit for her, also see above re: underpinnings of district. She misses her old classmates that were older, so that's a Pro to attend public school, but she kind of said it wasn't a dealbreaker.)
My son might go to Expensive College again next year, or he might not. (Maybe cheaper state college in City A? Maybe not college at all?). If we move to VT, as a family we would likely be eligible for more/better help for him.
IF meg goes to charter school, we have to stay in NH, and get closer to City A. If we want the flexibility of being able to go to public school for the next 4, there are 2 towns that would allow for all of that and would also allow me to be close to current job & project (or we stay put, but then charter is probably a stretch because of the 45 min drive).
One of my ideas is: as we get closer, if we decide charter is what needs to happen, we could probably rent a nice condo for a bit and sell our place. THEN in a couple years we could scoot over to VT.
Therefore: Word of the Year
I am feeling vulnerable in a lot of ways this coming year. I was thinking about how I can/will protect myself or feel less threatened, and i had two ideas about how to do that - one is to be more Scorpio (strategic, secretive, 'i will use your underestimation as a tool,' less open). The other is to Mask Up --- like, when I was going thru The Tough Times and you don't tell every damn person what you're going through. Basically boundaries.
The thing with masks is that they're removable: you can choose to put them on or off, once you've got the hang of it.
So that, combined with my desire to Fight the Man, leads to Armor as my word of the year. It can be strong, it will protect, but it's not an all the time thing.
The relation here to the rest of the blog is the 'pretending we don't know' kind of thing with it. So this is going to be kind of a long one, and I'm going to be a little gentle* with myself about taking the time to write it, because these are not usual times and taking a few minutes to THINK is a worthy accommodation and investment in me not having crying jags or panic attacks. (TBH, since I've started ADHD medication, I am doing a lot better with those things - I think it's because I used to FORCE myself to focus, using discipline and willpower, and I'd use it all up but still have to Do Things. So my brain would be worn out and pushed beyond its limits and then I'd have feelings to deal with.).
*Ok, thinking the word 'gentle' led to a connect-the-dots that eventually led to the song & subjectline.
Pretending We Don't Know
(or, remember Dr. Weknowdis?)
One of the problems when you work for the school district that you live in (and that your child/ren attend) is that when stuff goes down, you get a double whammy of job being affected and kid's education being affected. (Also being in HR.) I think I can write this in the way I do below, and not get in trouble if I ever get doxxed. Here's my structure: the public already knows some things, and there are logical conclusions to reach.
- Public info: 2 of 5 towns voted to let seceding from the district go to ballot in March.
- Public can presume that the structure of what the district looks like for 27-28 is an absolute question mark right now, even not taking into consideration state and federal nonsense.
- Public info: the district has less income this year, and more expense because of health ins. The current budget proposal (for 26-27) is going to raise taxes, so the budget committee is trying to bring it back down again.
- Public can presume that cutting costs when we operate pretty leanly is not going to be pretty. Or property taxes will be a nightmare or both.
- Public info: There is a push to downsize the fed dept of education, and a push to shift state money from public schools to charter and private schools.
- The public can presume this means Uncertainty at a minimum.
- Also there was a major police incident in one of our towns.
- Someone shot someone at a gas station due to road rage.
- There also might have been another incident in another one of our towns but we never officially heard about it and aren't sure if it really happened.
- Also we're not that far from Brown or MIT.
Actual Uncertainty
Parentally, my daughter might go to the public school next year - or she might not. (First because Cool Charter School in City A is likely a better fit for her, also see above re: underpinnings of district. She misses her old classmates that were older, so that's a Pro to attend public school, but she kind of said it wasn't a dealbreaker.)
My son might go to Expensive College again next year, or he might not. (Maybe cheaper state college in City A? Maybe not college at all?). If we move to VT, as a family we would likely be eligible for more/better help for him.
IF meg goes to charter school, we have to stay in NH, and get closer to City A. If we want the flexibility of being able to go to public school for the next 4, there are 2 towns that would allow for all of that and would also allow me to be close to current job & project (or we stay put, but then charter is probably a stretch because of the 45 min drive).
One of my ideas is: as we get closer, if we decide charter is what needs to happen, we could probably rent a nice condo for a bit and sell our place. THEN in a couple years we could scoot over to VT.
Therefore: Word of the Year
I am feeling vulnerable in a lot of ways this coming year. I was thinking about how I can/will protect myself or feel less threatened, and i had two ideas about how to do that - one is to be more Scorpio (strategic, secretive, 'i will use your underestimation as a tool,' less open). The other is to Mask Up --- like, when I was going thru The Tough Times and you don't tell every damn person what you're going through. Basically boundaries.
The thing with masks is that they're removable: you can choose to put them on or off, once you've got the hang of it.
So that, combined with my desire to Fight the Man, leads to Armor as my word of the year. It can be strong, it will protect, but it's not an all the time thing.