RETIREMENT SHOCKERS

I WAS QUITE SURPRISED, ACTUALLY SHOCKED

ABOUT 3 THINGS WHEN I RETIRED.

THE FIRST SHOCKER IS

TRAFFIC IN AMERICAN FORK.

MY ENTIRE SCHOOLING, AND THEN TEACHING,

I THOUGHT EVERYONE WHO COULD DRIVE

WAS EITHER IN SCHOOL, OR WORKING.

THE ONLY ONES ON THE ROAD WERE THE

"STAY AT HOME MOMS."

AND, TRAFFIC WAS LIKE THIS IN AF:

BUT, IT'S REALLY LIKE THIS:

I CAN NEVER GET ON 1100 EAST (NORTH COUNTY BLVD) BY MY CONDO.

THIS ROAD GOES TO HOSPITAL, TEMPLE, LONE PEAK, AND ALPINE.

I HAVE TO TAKE THE BACK ROADS TO GET ANYWHERE.

MAIN & STATE STREETS ARE HORRIFIC, TOO!

A SHOCKER!!!

THE OTHER BIG SHOCKER TO ME, IS THE AMOUNT

OF HOMESCHOOLERS THAT ARE ALL OVER!
RIDING BIKES, AT THE STORES, IN THE CARS, AND SWIMMING.

I NEVER HAD ANY INTERACTION WITH HOMESCHOOLERS

WHILE GROWING UP.

IT JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN!

EVERYONE WENT TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHEN I GREW UP.

IT'S JUST WHAT YOU DID.

THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS A CHARTER SCHOOL,

AND NO PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
(HOWEVER, I DID GO TO A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY...BYU)

WHEN I GREW UP, THERE WERE "TRUANT OFFICERS."

IF A SCHOOL-AGED CHILD OR TEEN WERE "OUT AND ABOUT,"

THE TRUANT OFFICER WOULD GET YOU.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED, BUT EVERYONE

KNEW ABOUT TRUANT OFFICERS.

THE FIRST TIME I EVER HEARD OF "HOMESCHOOLERS,"

WAS REID AND LAUREL'S NEIGHBORS.

THEIR MOM TAUGHT THEM...WHICH WAS OK, BECAUSE

SHE HAD A TEACHING DEGREE.

(I INTRODUCED HER TO HER HUSBAND.)

THEN, THEY WOULD BE A STUDENT IN THEIR

DAD'S CLASS AT MANILA ELEMENTARY.

I HAVE DEALT WITH A FEW "HOMESCHOOLERS."
THE FIRST TIME, I HAD TO TAKE ONE WITH MY CLASS
ON OUR HIKE TO NORTH MOUNTAIN.
YOU SEE, THE DISTRICT ALLOWS HOMESCHOOLERS
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS HOW THEY WANT.
WELL, THIS KID WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN MY CLASS,
BUT HE WAS BEING HOMESCHOOLED BECAUSE OF THE
TIME HE PUT IN EACH DAY FOR GYMNASTICS.
I ALSO TAUGHT HIS SISTER.
HE WAS A NIGHTMARE ON THE HIKE!!!
HE HAD NO ACCOUNTABILITY.
MY KIDS HAD TO TAKE NOTES, WRITE UP EXPERIMENTS
AND DO THEM.  HE GOOFED AROUND ALL DAY.
THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO.

ANOTHER GIRL I TAUGHT HAD BEEN HOMESCHOOLED
IN CANADA.
THEY HAD TO HAVE A PLAN.
SHE WAS IN 2ND GRADE THEN.  APPARENTLY, THEY
PASSED OFF ANYTHING.
P.E. WAS ESPECIALLY INTERESTING.
RIDE BIKE.
SWIM.
WALK AROUND BLOCK.
ART/SCIENCE:  MAKE A PAPER MACHÉ DINOSAUR.
AT LEAST THERE WAS ACCOUNTABILITY.

THE HARDEST ONE WAS A KIDDO I HAD THAT HAD
NEVER BEEN TO ANY KIND OF SCHOOL...EVER!
HE THOUGHT RECESS WAS THE BEST INVENTION!!!
THAT DIDN'T LAST LONG, BECAUSE HE COULD NEVER
GET ANY WORK DONE.
WHEN WE WENT ON OUR NORTH MOUNTAIN HIKE
THAT YEAR, ONE OF THE MOTHERS THAT
WENT LIVED BY HIM.
SHE SAID HE SLEPT TILL 10:00, GOT UP,
GOT READY, ATE BREAKFAST, DID A COUPLE OF
WORKSHEETS ON THE COMPUTER, ATE LUNCH, AND WAS
DONE FOR THE DAY!
HE REALLY STRUGGLED!

WE ALSO HAD TO HAVE A GIRL DO
"HOPE OF AMERICA" WITH US, BECAUSE HER COUSIN DID IT.
COME TO FIND OUT, SHE WAS ONLY IN 3RD GRADE, NOT 5TH.
WE HAD TO TAKE HER ANYWAY.

RENAE AND I GO SWIMMING AT THE REC CENTER
FROM ABOUT 9:45 - 10:45.
I AM SHOCKED HOW MANY SCHOOL AGED
KIDS ARE THERE SWIMMING...ALL THE TIME!!!

THERE ARE THESE 2 OBNOXIOUS BROTHERS 
THERE QUITE OFTEN.
THEY JUMP OFF THE DIVING BOARD, WHEN IT'S
BLOCKED OFF, AND JUMP AND SPLASH EVERYONE.
ONCE, THEY JUMPED AND GOT THE WATER AEROBICS
INSTRUCTOR'S BOOM BOX AND IPHONE WET.
SHE WENT TO GET AFTER THE MOTHER.
NOW, THE MOTHER DOESN'T EVEN COME
IN THE POOL AREA.

I WONDER HOW THESE KIDS EVER SURVIVE SOCIALLY?
THEY DO SOME WEIRD STUFF.
MAYBE THEY WERE BULLIED.
BUT, HOW DO THESE PARENTS THINK THEY'RE
QUALIFIED TO TEACH THEM?
OH, YEAH.  THEY HAVE A COMPUTER!!!
AND, THE KIDS DON'T HAVE TO BE TESTED.

AND THE THIRD SHOCKER IS THERE ARE SO MANY MEN 
AT THE POOL FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE MORNING!
AND THEY'RE YOUNG!
(LIKE LATE 20s, EARLY 30s.)
SWIMMING LAPS, TAKING SCUBA LESSONS, 
SITTING IN HOT TUB.
DOES NOBODY GO TO WORK ANYMORE?
OR, DO THEY WORK FROM HOME, ARE MR. MOMS, 
OR SO RICH THAT THEY DON'T NEED TO WORK???

HOW CAN I GET IN TIP TOP FORM LIKE THIS?

WHEN THEY ARE ALWAYS IN THE WAY???