We went from February 1 to February 25 in just 4 days.
Next week will be March meaning Mothering Sunday and Easter will come super-fast. Summer will come and go and then the shops will have their Christmas decorations up. Basically 2023 is finished.
Okay, not quite but time is slipping through my fingers at a rate am not comfortable with. I shouldn’t be surprised really, it’s getting depressing how long it takes to scroll to my birth year when filling in forms. During a conversation with a customer, they mentioned something 30 years ago and my mind went straight to the 1970s. They actually meant 1993 and I now need a lie down.
February seems to be the month of momentous decisions. Between Nicola Sturgeon announcing her departure from Scottish politics and all the pawns quickly announcing whether or not they’re running to replace her, I sometimes wonder why people go into the world of PR. Trying to justify the reasoning behind the campaigns and policies or to represent someone who’s ideals don’t remotely resemble modern day thinking can’t be an easy job.
Decisions, decisions
Decisions seem to be the order of the day right from the heady heights of the Scottish Parliament to King Charles choosing the music for his upcoming coronation to smallest kid choosing her subjects for school. Granted, the entire nation might not have a vested interest in this last set of choices but as her parents, we certainly do.
It’s rather a skilful balancing act these days, although the cr*p column still exists thirty years after I had to choose my standard grades. The column with nothing anyone wants to study. Six other columns full of opportunities and promise, and then there is column C. As your eye casts slowly down the options, your brain is going nope, no, absolutely not, nuhuh, not a chance and finally ‘dear lord they actually teach that in school?!’ Fortunately my brain instructed my mouth not to utter these exclamations out loud and to remember I am there for guidance purposes only. It’s her choice.
An educational smorgasbord
Gentle, persuasive, guidance purposes nonetheless. It’s a difficult thing to choose a pathway when you’re only 14 and the most important thing in your life is when you’re getting to see the next Marvel movie. We’ve had a report card and a parents night to help us navigate but they were probably more for our benefit than hers. A little too chatty? You’ll realise she gets that from her father.
Graphic Design. Pottery. Dance. Jewellery making and silversmith. Media Studies. Cake Decorating. Travel and tourism. Sociology. Photography. The classics. People and Places. Childcare. Hello? 1991? Come and see how 2023 does it! It’s a veritable feast of choice on this educational smorgasbord and they no longer frown on you for not taking maths, English and all three sciences.
Not all paths lead to Uni
Bravo to the school systems for realising that not all positive destinations involve heading to University. That only going onto further your studies, is no longer the pathway to guaranteed, gainful employment and many more excellent routes exist today. Hurrah for teachers realising just because one sibling excelled at a subject, it doesn’t mean the next one will be too.
My higher maths teacher came to understand that fact very soon after she connected the dots between me and the big brain that was my older brother. ‘Oh! You’re Robert Taylor’s wee sister? You’ll be just fine.’ When I finally scrapped my C pass, she announced to the whole class she had no idea how I could ‘problem solve’ something I didn’t ‘know or understand’. Me neither Mrs McKenzie, me neither. Thankfully maths didn’t play a huge part in my onward education, my disinterest possibly more due to her tutting and disapproval.
Trust and support
It’s an exciting time for smallest kid. She gets to choose her path and her studies from here on in. We can only trust in her judgement and do some cheerleading, where allowed. I thought I used to worry a lot when the kids were little but now I have teenagers, I miss worrying about nap times and favourite blankets. Tune in next week when I get to do it all over again for middle choosing her sixth year subjects.
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