Back to School is WEIRD Now…

Seth here with a few thoughts on the new school year:

Our kids started school last week IN A FULL-ON distance learning format.  All their classwork is online and they “attend” class through Zoom.  I’m not sure I like this.  I miss our old school routine.  It was kind of special to me.  You see, I’m a morning person.  I get up early, I work out then I come home and start the day for everyone.  I make breakfast and I’m in charge of making sure everybody is up and ready to go to school.  I like that role and here is why…

I love music.  I also have ADD.  Those two things along with a smart speaker (we have the Amazon Alexa that spies on you), and a music app and we are good to go.  Wake up starts at 7:15 am (or so).  The wake-up song depends on a lot of different factors including, but not limited to, day of the week, weather, the activity of the day, any upcoming holidays, whatever.  Let me please explain thru example…

 Here’s a link to my morning mix on Spotify!

For wake-up (any regular kind of day) … “Here Comes the Sun” (the Beatles), “Sunshine and Lollipops” (Leslie Gore), “Get Up – Stand Up” (Bob Marley), “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” (it’s a PBS Kids show and kind of an inside joke), “A Day in the Life” (the Beatles)

If it is for just the girls (my daughters) … “My Girl” (Temptations), “Never My Love” (the Association), “Isn’t She Lovely?” (Stevie Wonder), “More Today Than Yesterday” (Spiral Staircase), “Day Dream Believer” (The Monkees)

If nobody is getting out of bed… “Get Up and Boogie (That’s Right)” (Silver Convention), “Revelry” (USMC Band), “Good Morning Starshine” (Oliver)

When breakfast is ready… “Come and Get Your Love” (Redbone), “Wild Horses” (the Rolling Stones)

Days of the week songs… “Monday, Monday” (the Mama & the Papas), “Come Monday” (Jimmy Buffet), “Ruby Tuesday” (the Rolling Stones), “Sunday Morning Coming Down” (Kris Kristofferson), “Sister Golden Hair” (America), “Tuesday Afternoon” (Moody Blues)

While Getting Ready/Dressed… “She’s a Rainbow” (the Rolling Stones), “In the Navy” (Village People), “Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress)” (the Hollies), “The Lady in Red” (Chris De Burgh)

If it is raining… “Kentucky Rain” (Elvis Presley) “Rainy Night in Georgia” (Brook Benton), “A Hard Rain is a Gonna Fall” (Bob Dylan), “Rainy Day Woman” (Waylon Jennings)

If it rained yesterday… “I Can See Clearly Now” (Jimmy Cliff)

Overcast and foggy… “California Dreaming” (the Mamas and the Papas)

Activities of the day… “How Bout Them Cowgirls” (George Strait), “Surfer Girl” (Beach Boys), “If I Were a Carpenter” (Johnny Cash)

I think you get the idea…I can go on with this for a LONG time.  Longer than is probably healthy for anybody.  But here is the most important part.  There are SO MANY WAYS TO SAY I LOVE YOU.  Serving people, people you love.  Even if it’s avocado toast just the way she likes it or knowing that if she is really grouchy just get her some chocolate milk and wait for her to drink it.  These days won’t last.  Make them memorable.  My kids may think I am crazy, but here is what I know.  Someday, when I am gone to greener pastures, they will look at each other and say “remember when Dad used to play all that dumb music before school?” “Yeah- he was crazy.” And they will remember how much I loved them.

So-what if Back to School is weird now.  Serve your family.  Serve the people you love.  Watch over them and keep them healthy.  All you have is right now.  Make the most of it.  Whatever that looks like.