Rose Garden

It's an exceptionally crisp and rainy fall day today. In the fading daylight, already dimmed by overcast skies, I can smell leaves burning from people's garden's down the street. Days like this remind me of living in Iowa during late Autumn. Walking back from class, the wind blowing, wishing you had brought a warmer coat that day, it's almost dark and there isn't a living leaf on any tree, but once you got home, that would all go away. You'd come in the door, Travis would be in the kitchen making spaghetti, or chili, Paul and Henk are on the couch watching Jeopardy....those were some happy times.

Since we're walking down memory lane, let me tell you about a time I really miss, the Spring of '09. Obviously there was more to it than this, but what I remember about that time most, at least on the surface, are memories of warm, sunny afternoons moving into cool Spring evenings. They had that certain feel like five or six in the evening during the Summer, when the Sun is just starting to go down but the light hasn't yet begun to fade. Alvin was living in a different apartment then, so every now and again Paul, Christina, and I would go over there to cook and what-not. Usually it was some sort of pesto, stuffed mushrooms, and cheap wine. The lighting would be low and warm, the smell of garlic and onions sauteing in butter heavy in the air, Alvin would be working away in the kitchen with his apron on, and there was always some Feist, Elliott Smith, or Iron and Wine playing. Like I said, I'm pretty sure this exact scenario only happened once or twice, but it's the impression that's important here.

But I digress.

In one of my general English classes, there is a kid who has some sort of learning disability. I've made the mistake of confusing bad English skills with a mental disability before, but this is not one of those times (I'm 90% sure, but I've only got a minor in Psychology, cut me some slack. What do you want me to do, walk up and ask him?). Anyways, this kid's English skills are borderline non-existent; he turns in blank quizzes, I've never got homework back from him, and class participation is out of the question. Ordinarily, I wouldn't think too much about it, if he can't do the homework and pass the tests, he can't pass the class. But this is different. I went and talked to the Man a while back to ask him what I should do, and why he isn't in special classes, and basically the answer I got was "just pass him." Now that's a bag of issues in and of itself, but let's not get too far away from the main point of this - what am I supposed to do in the here and now to pass this kid? How can I, in good conscience, give an "A" to a kid who clearly hasn't done any of the work and has, almost certainly, learned nothing? And another thing. If the school is just going to pass him anyway, why not waive the requirement altogether? It's just a general class, why waste my time, and his? I was handing back said quizzes, but I still hadn't, and haven't, decided what to do with his, so when he asked me why everyone else got theirs back, all I could say was "Uh...yeah, I uh....left it on my desk in my...office....yeah...."

Now Listening To:
"Cherry Blossoms"
The Horrible Crowes