Weekly post

Aug. 8, 2005

Dear family and friends,
It seems as though I've been running in place for the last few weeks, waiting for the semester to start. Only two more weeks until Aug. 22, which is kickoff day. Meanwhile, I delivered the sermon yesterday that I mentioned in last week's post. It was well received.
The children go back to school a few days after I do, so the third week in August promises to be interesting around here. I've gotten my son's school supplies, but the school has not sent a similar list for the daughter, so we have no idea what we're supposed to be supplying. As for me, times have changed since I was an undergraduate. It seems the students all take notes on laptop computers they bring with them to class. I have been duly supplied with a laptop computer and so needed few other supplies. I do have a bookbag, and I also bought some notebook paper, a pack of ballpoint pens, and a few folders -- in liturgical colors, of course, red, purple and green.
We've all been enjoying sleeping late, sometimes not waking up until 7:30 or 8:00, but I foresee that changing. They don't tell you the bus schedule until the last minute, I guess to minimize the time for complaining, but I suspect the children will be getting up at 6:00 to avoid being rushed. I've heard other parents talk about how they wake their children just 15 minutes before the bus comes and then have to yell sleepy kids through getting dressed and eating breakfast. I think we'd rather get them up a little earlier and have a more civilized beginning. I expect that if years past are any indicator, the bus will come about 7 a.m., which means we'll wake them about 6 or 6:15. That sounds barbaric, but school starts at 7:30. Given all the studies showing how young people's brains do not get in gear that early, I'd rather see both elementary and secondary schools start at 8:30, with after-school activities adjusting as necessary. A school day ending at 2:30 or 3:30 doesn't make sense, now that we're not an agricultural society anymore. Very few children have to rush home to milk the cows. My high school day started at 8:40, and I don't remember feeling shortchanged in the slightest.
H'm. Stepping off soapbox now.
I've been told that about half of the 45 incoming divinity school students are Baptist, the other half being a healthy mix. I'm the only Lutheran, however. One student is 65, a few are between 45 and 65, six between 37 and 45, maybe a dozen between 25 and 37, and about half the students are under 25, meaning they're coming straight from undergraduate school. I hope it makes for some interesting classroom discussions! Some of us who remember Carter as president and some as "that Habitat guy."
That's more than enough for today. See you next week.
Grace and peace,
Beth