My daughter, Lilly, starts school at the University of Hawaii next Monday, and you don't, but neither do I.
School and I hated each other the same way automation does; because I'm the horseshoes and hand grenades type. 'Close enough' is my motto because I have the U-Turn in my arsenal. Same As with automation and academia, if you don't thread the needle perfect: you're screwed. This brings me where I am today: at the University of Hawaii New Student Orientation; Standing in line; Needing the right form; Filled out the right way; At the right time; In the right line; Brought back how (no exaggeration) my parents had to visit school at least once a year, for the first twelve years, to keep me in. And then in college, if it wasn't for the fact that I was an art major and basically recess was every class, I still had adversarial relationships with the administration. And then, when I taught that one painting class that one year at the School of Visual Art, I got in such a row with the director that she was reprimanded and I was notified, but I was the one that ended up not getting hired back.
So here I am, in line once again, at school; but this time, I'm a parent standing in the "parent walk-in registration" line. Granted, this is probably one of the most beautiful places on earth ? and it makes L.A. look like the rust belt ? but I hate it and I'm anxious because I'm told that I have the wrong form, and I'm standing in the wrong line. But just then my daughter, Lilly, who doesn't have this problem: she is one with school. And so she is the one that comes to my rescue. And she makes sure that Dad's squared away just as I realize, it's not about me anymore, and she smiles at me and she spins around with perfect posture and turns the corner to meet her new class.