That headline has a double meaning today. We woke up at 5:22 with our clock beeping to tell us the power was off. Terry had just heard a loud pop before that so figured a nearby transformer had exploded. Four hours later, when the PG&E repairman was working in our yard, we learned that was exactly what had happened.
The transformer at the end of our block that provides power to 64 homes in the subdivision had blown up and the repairmen were trying to reconfigure the boosting transformers to carry the bulk of the power and get us back on line. By 11:15 we were good to go. Too late for me to shower and wash my hair but in time to have the garage door opener operational to get me on the road to school.
Fortunately, my hair didn’t look too bad and none of the kids questioned the looks of it. They were too busy asking about the bandaid covering a very bad bruise on my arm. I have no idea how I got the bruise, but it looks terrible and I didn’t want to traumatize small children with such a sight so I chose a colorful bandaid that matched my skirt!
Kids notice everything. Their little eyes and little hearts are very sensitive. I do my best to make their time with me the very best in can possibly be. Today, I read “This Book is Not for You.” It has lots of silliness and lots to laugh about but also take seriously, like you can read any book you choose. We talked about going to the public library over summer break and getting craft projects to make. Our libraries do a marvelous job with such activities.
That’s what I could do today, and I’ll do it again tomorrow with second graders. We will read a silly book with a good message. I will encourage them to read all summer. I will pass out certificates that will remind them of all the good stuff they learned this year. We will celebrate our names, all of our names. I am powerless to do anything for those dear children lost to an angry, bullied young man who took his revenge on the smallest. But like PG&E who came and rechanneled the electricity to other transformer boxes to make up for the exploded one, I am hopeful I can rechannel love and care to dear children in my own purview.