Nothing to do for a month. That would seem like heaven for a teenager, right? Sleep until noon. Bike around town with friends. Meet up with the soccer pals at the field for a quick game. Take the old car down to the beach for the day. Have too many beers with friends in someone’s backyard. Charge up your battery and get a nice tan before college starts up in the fall.
Well, Ian doesn’t get any of that. 30 days with nothing to do means 18 hours in the house with parents who are glued to their computers all day. No friends, no car, no days with buddies at the beach. No college down the road. No job, because no one will hire you. Too old for the few camps that are appropriate for you.
Ian could play video games, look at memes, and make lists all day, but that wouldn’t be very healthy. So, again, I am NOT working. I am doing one fun thing with Ian every day for the next 30 days.
On Sunday, Steve and I took him to Central Park in New York City. Yesterday, Ian and I visited a huge Asian supermarket and food court. Today, I think it’s going to be a long walk in another Hudson River town. Lunch destination is yet to be determined.
This complete abandonment of my kid and my family by society comes on top of two years of picking up the pieces from a public education system that also abandoned us. I’m tired.
But being pissed all the time is definitely not healthy, so I’m making the most of this time with one awesome kid. We’re taking pictures of ourselves everywhere for 30 days and somewhat passive-aggressively posting these pictures on social media to remind the world that we exist.
Apt. 11d 