I Don't Get It

My daughter is not enjoying the Model U.N. program at her school.  I want her to love it.  She's dreading it.  Why?  The students who run it are purportedly not giving them clear instructions and they give instructions too late.  She wants out.  Her friends want out.  Everyone’s frustrated.  I don’t get it.  It should be awesome.  I want her to continue.  But we don’t have a very positive discussion.  None of my suggestions find their mark.  My call for sticktoitiveness falls flat and I resort to saying: “Hey, soon you’ll make all your decisions by yourself.  You can decide to do nothing all day if you like.  But for now go try your best."  From the other room, my wife yelled to give it a rest. 

Later that night I spoke with her older sister.  “It’s run by older kids.  They just want something on their resume.  None of them are nice.  I mean, they’re all like, mean nerds.”  I tried to imagine why such a seemingly interesting, international club would be a magnet for mean nerds.  I pointed out that a good friend of hers was one in the Model U.N. program.  “Well, yeah.  She’s cool.  But most are not.”  A friend she had over who was helping us to eat the hummus and babaganoush I’d made, concurred.  That’s just the reputation of M.U.N.  I tried to point out that every year there were new students and didn’t that necessarily change the composition of the club, year after year?  “No, it self-selects for mean-nerds.”  

Had to wait for it but tonight I was finally invited up into the older one’s bedroom for some reading.  Fortunately I’d napped earlier and sleep’s claws weren’t yet pawing at me.  She came home from hanging with friends around 11:00PM.  “Baba, you can read to me.”  I see.  Cool.  She even had to call me twice, intimating that the window would not remain open much longer.  I put down my “work” and headed on up.

And we spent time with Pierre on his imprisoned retreat from Moscow.  He walks off, sits by himself and begins to laugh uproariously at his predicament.  We spent time with the wounded Napoleonic forces, beginning their slow withdrawal who are growing more ornery with every step away from Moscow.  Kurtozov who rejected peace and was holding off the army to let the French wound fester is woken in the middle of the night.  "Sir, the general wants to know if he can attack. " If I count correctly we only have about twenty-five such ten-page sessions to go.  We’ve been in this world for nearly two years now and each ritual return is so welcoming.  And each time I don’t want to leave.  Indeed, I'm always, nagging for a chance to go back. 

Saturday, 10/13/18