How an 18 year old does it.......

Yesterday afternoon, I got the automated phone call from the school district telling me my "senior student" was not in 6th period. That's the last class of the day for Will....who I knew was upstairs napping and coughing and hacking. He's been sick all week but had gone to school. So when he woke up later, I asked him why he wasn't in 6th period.

"Because I felt like crap."

"Did you tell your teacher you were leaving?"

"No."

"Will! You can't just leave. You have to tell someone. Now you're going to have an unexcused absence!" (which I don't really know what that means...but it always sounded bad.)


Today, I happened to check my phone when I stopped by my desk and saw a text message from Will.


"I'm going home. Dizzy and can hardly stand up. Coughing."


So I call him and tell him I that I was going to make him a doctor's appointment and would be home shortly. I then proceed to go through hoops of fire and red tape to take the afternoon off. I work for the state government/public school.......and you must ask the higher up, who then ask the even higher up, but if that higher up isn't there, they tell you to go ask another equally higher up who tells you to put the note in another higher up's mailbox. Grrrrr. But I got through all those hoops and left. Although, I 'm not sure the real higher up is aware I left.

When I got home, I asked Will if he told anyone he was leaving school.

"No."

"NO? You just walked out again?"

"yeah."

"Why didn't you go to the nurse?"

"'cause she doesn't let you leave unless you're on fire."

I'm just going to admit it to you and the world, I was stopped in my tracks. I couldn't even think of what to say or yell. I'm dealing with an 18 year old who looks at me like I am some kind of retarded old lady who is stuck on rules.

So on the way to the doctor, I tell him I think he just needs to live at home next year and go to the community college. Until he can prove he can follow the rules. How can I trust he will go to class.......blah, blah, blah. He has his head against the headrest, eyes closed....probably rolling them at me.


He doesn't say a word. I'm cutting him some slack because he is sick....and I am dumbfounded. And my game isn't on. Believe me, I can usually do some lecturing.

Grrrrr.


Then while in the waiting room, there is one other parent in the waiting room....talking on his cell phone. He's telling the other person....."yeah, I told him he's going to get his GED and get a job. And he's going to quit cussing at me, and quit yelling and quit coming in at all hours of the night. And quit drinking. And if he doesn't do all that, he can just get out."

This was right after he sent his daughter into the examining room with a "give her a COMPLETE physical......get a flashlight down there if you have to......" He told the person on the phone what he told her and then told them, "I'm just trying to keep her honest." (I am assuming he means her you know what...and he wanted to check if it had been you know whatty.)



Well, maybe I would rather be in my shoes today.



After Will's appointment, we got in the car and he said very quietly, "thank you for taking me to the doctor."

Oh.........he's a Chuck Hackney. He won't allow you to stay mad.


By the way, not flu, not strep, just a bacterial infection. Now all I have to do is figure out if I am supposed to write a note along with the doctor's note explaining why my son just got in his car and left 2 days in a row. What do I say, "Please excuse my son skipping school yesterday. He was too sick to stay in class, but not on fire so he just left."


Why can't kids just forge their parents signature like we used to do? That sure would make things alot easier. I could stay out of the whole mess.



Kidding.