The chair came today. And my daughter met her first grade teacher. I myself don't remember much of first grade. I skipped it. I went to first grade, was taken to the principal's office, took some tests and read a lot, and then was told that the second grade class had voted and all but two of the students said I could come and join them.

One of the students who allegedly voted against me ended up at my college and now lives in my fair city and goes to my church. I have no problem with her vote. As it turns out, I think the decision to skip me was the wrong one. Think of how smart I might be if I had stayed and completed the first grade! Sure, I might have been bored and socially uninspired by my far inferior peers. And the argument can be made that I would have never met my oldest and dearest friend later, in seventh grade, as she is a year older than I. But maybe if I hadn't skipped I would now be the smartest, the best, the brightest. I wouldn't have struggled in college. I wouldn't have been so darn cocky and would have worried more about my studies. I would have various graduate degrees by now and would be online to research more about the effects of teeth grinding on receeding gums or Oedipal imagery in Updike (if I had pursued some of my early interests in full). Instead, I am online blogging about what could have been.

My parents made the best choice for me and I'm making the best choice for my daughter. Sure, I'll screw up at some point during her schooling. Sure, I've already screwed up. But I know for sure that my little girl is pretty excited about school and is more than ready to learn new things. For now, for this very moment, my work is done. Good night.