Response to comments below...

I started this in the comment section of "Velcro Dad," but it got long-winded (surprise, surprise), so I decided to make it into a post instead.

Personally, I would prefer to leave our political views off of Will's page. I set this blog up to keep Will's more distant relatives up to date on his life, not to explain to the world to whom my vote goes and why. I know the blog is mundane at times; I don't always have the time to craft a witty post, and lately, the energy is lacking, too. I will try to post livelier stories of Will's (mis)adventures.

Additionally, I am very private about my political views around my students because I don't want my political philosophy tainting their view of me as a teacher. Most 15 year olds aren't quite mature enough to separate what their parents tell them is the right way to think from the people they admire. The last thing I need is for some kid to think I grade his paper harder because he follows a different political party. If they listen closely to what I say, they can figure out my viewpoint. Most don't listen that closely. Besides, discussing politics and religion (outside of immediate family) makes me physically sick to my stomach. They are two areas that represent who people are at the core of their being, and arguing won't change that.

Rolf's feed is already on the right side of the blog. My feed includes the Onion, the blog Cake Wrecks, and the Great White Snark. Everything else is either a friend's blog or the SAT question of the day, to which I subscribe for the SAT prep class I teach.

Rolf is thinking about starting a different blog for the side of our lives that has less to do with Will. I am not sure how it will fly, since Rolf doesn't even post here, and I have my aforementioned aversions to publishing my thoughts about the world where my students can find them. You may think me spineless for feeling this way, but remember the city in which I teach, and remember the close-minded nature of many of its citizens. The subject I teach has more "subjective" grades than straightforward a+b=c. Add to that a high-maintenance group of "helicopter" parents (not all, but there are more than a few in my school's neighborhood), and there's a recipe for trouble. It's not worth it to me. I live my own personal philosophies in my daily life through my service to the community and my tolerance for all walks of life, and I teach that service and tolerance by example in my classroom. I feel that's enough.

All that aside, the Henson exhibit sounds fantastic. I would love to take Rolf and Will to the Smithsonian someday. I don't think Will is going to be up for that much museum time for a couple of years, but it's definitely on the to-do list. One of my long held goals is to be a card-carrying member of the Library of Congress. You know, just 'cause.