THE PERILS OF A POOR POET'S PERCEPTION AND HIS PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

My wife warned me, "Stay under he radar". Several people have warned me, "Watch Out!". But there was that open mike and it was whispering sweet nothings in my ear, calling me to come forward. Despite my naturally shy persona, I stumbled to the seductively waiting microphone.

I couldn't help myself. I had to say something about the budget. After all, it was a public hearing and I owed it to my "public" to speak. (Okay, my mom would have wanted me to say something) So I pointed out that I've been doing a series of postings in my blog about waste and excess of the proposed budget in my blog in case anybody reads it. I called for more dircet services, like "librarians" (insert unspoken plug).

My pleas elicited an equally passioned response from our superintendent that principles were given the choice of adding one person this year and only one school chose to add a librarian, the rest chose READING TEACHERS. Okay fine, who am I to question the wisdom of all those people?

But it didn't end there. After the public hearing on the budget was closed and during the break before the start of the regular LSC meeting DR LATHAM sought me out. With a firm handshake and blue flames shooting from her eyes (forgive the graphic image, I' a poet remember?) Threatening to plow me into submission with piles of statistics and that dreaded "D" word, DATA, I tried to extricate myself from the situation but was not successful. She just kept coming (I had flashbacks to an ex-wife - SCARY). Finally I walked away, saying "I' not going to convince you and you're not going to convince me. Let's just agree to disagree. (I had to walk away, I can't run, being disabled)