When in Brisbane on Tuesday I bought two books - The Winter of Our Disconnect by Susan Maushart - about a mother and three teenagers who pulled the plug on their technological world and survived and Getting Unstuck by Timothy Butler ("Fresh ways for you to think about who you really are and what makes you happy" - The Washington Post).
I've read Susan Maushart's columns in The Weekend Australian over the years and mostly enjoyed them. This book is quite entertaining and the blurb on the back says The Experiment changed their lives ....for the better.
On page 77 I came across a paragraph that was very relevant in our house this week. It goes, "An article I read at the start of The Experiment advised teachers to 'give up the struggle' to prevent children from text-messaging one another during class, citing a University of Tasmania study dubiously titled '2 text yr m8 is gr8!' The study found that more than 90 per cent of ninth- and tenth-graders - including those in schools with strict (LOL) no-phone policies, regularly engaged in the practice".
My story goes - Drew and his phone are never apart for more than the time it takes him to shower or play a game of touch footy. His connection to the outside world, via his phone, is everything. Last Thursday, after his Japanese exam, he was sitting in his Biology class. Apparently he texted me, saying that "Jap went well, I think I passed. Can you come and pick me up?" - but I didn't receive the message. Then at lunchtime, his Biology teacher came up to him laughing, with her phone in her hand. His hand went automatically to his pocket (he thought she had somehow got his phone). She handed him her phone. He read the message. It was from him, telling the recipient that Jap had gone well, could you come and pick me up! His Biology teachers' name sits just above 'Mum' in his phonebook - he had sent her the message instead of me. So, during Biology he sent his Biology teacher the message intended for me. She got it at recess. She saw the funny side of it; I'm not sure the Principal would have.
The other book will take a little while to work through. There are some big changes on the horizon between now and the end of November especially for me as a parent (Gibbo's life won't change much!) - the end of my involvement with all things school related and the possibility that Drew will spend next year way, way, away from me. It will be bliss to not be tied to a school routine after 18 years of being so and it opens up so many doors to other opportunities and the chance to rediscover Maryanne and to do some of the things I've wondered about and put on the backburner for so long. There's the tiniest frisson of anticipation now and again when I think about what might be. Then again, there's a lot of emotion to deal with between now and when he steps on that plane so I need to stay grounded for a little while yet.
1 comment:
Have heard of the first book "Winter of our Disconnect". Sounds like a great idea, one which I often threaten here - cleansing ourselves of the television at least. Although we honestly don't watch all that much.
Vege gardens are looking great!
Fiona.
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