So the other night when Misty and I were at her parents I heard something on the news that kinda annoyed me. Apparently a student somewhere was expelled from school for a paper she wrote. The girls class was learning about the works of Edgar Allen Poe the class was then given the assignment to write a short story in the style in which Poe wrote. The teacher of the class had also told the students they could use her as a character in their story. The young girl did just that. Allegedly in the end of her paper the role in which her teacher played was tied up and thrown in the river. After the girl turned the paper in she was suspended for apparently writing a paper which allegedly was a threat to the well being of the teacher and school…

What has our world really come to? We can send our kids to school and teach them of authors like Poe, and then ask them to write a paper in the style in which he wrote just to expel them for writing what we asked them to. How can we expect our children to express themselves and be creative if we expel them for their creative efforts. Creativity and originality has become something that is almost shunned in the school systems these days. Schools implement a uniform dress code. I could elaborate on this so much more but I have a headache right now and it keeps giving me writers block to the point in which I start writing in circles.

I’ll try and elaborate on this subject more later, but tell me what you think of all this. I’d like to hear from people that know of any other situations where kids have been expelled, suspended, or faced any other forms of discipline for their writings, opinions, or clothing.

So today started out pretty bad. I got a call about a half hour or so after I had woken up and was informed my “Grandma” died. I put grandma in quotes since she wasn’t a grandmother through family, but a woman who practically raised me from the day I was born until I was about 7. I haven’t seen her since I was in high school. I didn’t want to since she had developed Alzheimer’s and had no clue who I was. It hurt too much to see her like that. She was my best friend growing up. Someone who was always there to take care of me. Someone who was there when I just wanted to cuddle or when I needed a hug. She died in peace though while she was sleeping at about 9 pm last night. She was a wonderful woman who had lived a long and good life. She will be missed greatly. I’m trying really hard not to cry again, but I figure this is my best way to get all this out…

She was put into a home a few years back in order to assure her safety. They had decided to do it after her daughter woke up to her making Mickey Mouse shaped pancakes for me. Her daughter tried to explain that I wasn’t there and that I was grown up now, but the alzheimer’s wouldn’t let her comprehend that. It makes it that much harder for me knowing a lot of her alzheimer’s moments had to do with me. She kept all her pictures of me and always talked about me. It’s tough knowing that someone who loved you that much is gone. Especially when you love them just as much. Having someone like that pass on is almost like having your mom or dad die. Even though I haven’t seen her in a long time it still hurts as much as it would if I were to have seen her just last week.

It’s odd since I had just thought about her the other day. She was such a huge part of my childhood and yet I haven’t seen her most all of my adult life. It’s tough…This is the second family member I have lost that was close in my lifetime. Both times I never wanted to go see them in a hospital setting for fear of my last memory of them being like that.

My “Uncle” Jack was the same way. He had a heart attack or stroke I forget which while I was in high school. I didn’t go to the hospital that night cuz I didn’t want to see him that way. He died a few days later. I just hate seeing people like that.

I love you Grandma Mildred…I’ll never forget all you taught me.

If you want more info on my last post here is a good resource which includes a chronological list of all of today’s events. I usually don’t condone the reading of the crap posted on MousePlanet.com since it is usually a bunch of speculations and BS, but it looks like they did a good job researching the Big Thunder Mountain accident. Not to mention as usual they had someone in the park who got some pictures.