Maybe

I’ve been going through one of my periodic periods of losing things—a pair of arm warmers, my beloved Shaun Deller cap, the one bicycle helmet that really fits me—and while it’s infuriating (mostly because when things get lost, they’re really lost; no manner of backtracking seems to effect their recovery), it may be a good thing after all.

The bike helmet, for instance, was cracked already and probably wasn’t made any more protective by my recent face plant; the cap, even though I really liked it, always left a dent in my forehead that took hours to go away whenever I wore it, and the arm warmers were so tight that when I pulled them on, I was forever losing my grip and slugging myself square in the jaw. So, while I’m sorry to see all that stuff go, maybe it was time they all went, anyway.

I sort of feel that same way about this quarter at school; it’s been reasonably rewarding and filled with a sufficient number of meaningful educational experiences, so on the one hand, I’m sad that it’s over. But at the same time, I also feel it’s pretty played out; my students, I think, have had enough of my schtick and, for what it’s worth, I’m happy to see them move on to the next phase of their lives.

And I guess, in a way, I have a somewhat similar sentiment about President Obama’s policy choices over the last few months. Again and again, I’m sorry to see him giving up on a promise—explicit or implied—that I thought he had made on the campaign trail, whether it was striking down “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” or refusing to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy.

But maybe all these capitulations are a good thing (or at least, maybe not as bad as they look); because maybe, just maybe, something else, something unexpected, something new and improved will ensue.