Some enchanted evening

I passed a very pleasant evening celebrating my friend Sue Murphy's 66th birthday. We took Evan to the park, then dropped Evan off at home, then went back out to Mountaintown Station-- a Mt. Pleasant microbrewery (our ONLY microbrewery)-- to have a beer on the back porch there. The Mountaintown patio overlooks the Chippewa River, and Island Park, and all kinds of summer greenery. We all know I hate summer, and I think nature is overrated, but Mt Pleasant was looking very ideal this evening from where I sat... that's mostly because it wasn't ungodly friggin hot today, like it was over the long weekend.

Then something very incongruous happened. All four police forces, out of the five in this small town, showed up to handle some matter that needed handling. It was a quiet matter, something Sue and I didn't even know was going on until we were walking out to my car. Oh well, it was more amusing than anything else for us, the spectators, because we sat in the car chatting for awhile until a cop rapped on my window and told us we could pull out (he was parked behind me, blocking my car in, you see-- so rather than interfere with an investigation, I just thought I'd wait it out).

Sue Murphy gave me hell for enrolling three incoming students in Military Science and Leadership courses. She is anti-war; I am anti-war, too. She asked when I got brainwashed. I said I wasn't brainwashed. I personally feel that these kinds of courses can help mediocre students develop confidence, focus, and discipline. Many of them tend to function well when given clear sets of expectations... like, run around the block, come back, do the Chicken Dance at the 50 yard line, and shout, "Hey, hey, hey, cool!" Just because you take Military Science doesn't mean you're active in the Army. You wear the Army uniform when doing drills and stuff, but you're not IN the ARMY.

And after all, most of us wear some type of work "uniform"-- that's what happens when you're working for The Man. A dress code reinforces certain values, a certain state of mind, etc. That's all. Since when is it a crime to want my students--who are very unable to create structure in their own lives away from home-- to have a foundation for being able to create that?

Military Science courses weren't for me as a freshman, but I do see the value in them, and would never turn kids away from them as an academic advisor. In fact, I try to sell the courses properly, intelligently, and without judgment.

Happy Birthday, Sue Murphy, you hippie.