White Seth Rogan knocked on my door. “Hey Walt, I’d like to produce your three-story ideas (Fieldtrippin, Skiing Austria, Whinetours) into movies, give you an office in LA where you can polish the scripts and work on future projects plus you can move into my spare house on the beach in Malibu.” (I call W. Kamau Bell Black Seth Rogan because they laugh exactly alike. Watch ‘United Shades of America’ and decide for yourself.)

 

Are you waiting for the magic knock? Well, bad news dreamers, it’s not coming and, more importantly, it’s not how things work in the real world. Unfortunately, the magic knock is alive and well with the next generation due to Dogecoin and influencers and mostly, sitting around for a year watching Netflix while covered in Cheeto dust.

 

BTW vaccines this week for anyone 16 and up, Wednesday 3-7 at SVHS, Thursday 1-7 at La Luz and Saturday 12-3 at El Verano.

 

It’s my birthday (56) and I’m riding to work because, that’s where I am in life. I took most of the month of May off for my 21st birthday, end of Junior year at UCSB and I was really into celebrating. It was the 80’s, times were different, don’t judge. Today I’m getting up at 5:30, watching the sunrise and getting to my 9:00 Zoom meeting with students because, well, that’s what I want to do at this stage of life.

 

The chain comes off my Schwinn Typhoon Cruiser as I head up Lucas so I double back and borrow my son’s 21 speed Giant mountain bike. It’s like a rocket compared to the cruiser which is good because I’m so late that I pass Thea on the bike path (if you’re not on a first name basis with the employees of Reader’s Books then you need to read more).

 

I’m thinking about my authentic self as I ride, not because I’m secretly gay or trans but because of my horrible interview on Monday for the vice principal position at the high school. I was all prepared with my post-covid plan on how to reset students and create the most progressive, innovative, visionary educational environment ever. And all I managed to explain was, “The world is like a Creekside student” meaning a little down, a little needing of TLC, a little disconnected but certainly not out. The hiring panel gave me a similar look as when I last taught Factoring Quadratic Functions in Algebra class.

 

I left the interview feeling, once again, like I’m not in the club and when combined with turning 56, it got me thinking. I rushed back to my classroom, taught a great Biology lesson about how the brain functions (My Superpower ADD) then reserved a camp site for June in Big Trees and moved on. Because that’s all we can do. Fail, learn, move on, plan a family camping trip, live.

 

And how does this relate to the magic knock? Well, we have to keep trying, keep pushing, keep walking through doors especially now when we are a little down, a little needing of TLC and a little disconnected. Seth isn’t coming and, more importantly, you don’t need Seth to come because doing things on your own is much more satisfying.

 

Start with this week’s art project: drawing more and less (stolen directly from the New York Times on Monday), fold a piece of white paper in half and draw three things you want more of on the left, then three things you want less of on the right (my example was outside, bike, and connection on the left and inside, car and distance on the right). It won’t change your world but it will give you a little direction in this rudderless time.

 

The day is outstanding, mostly because I tell the students they will get extra credit for the best birthday greeting (kidding), also I am grateful for all I have like being on this big green ball for 56 years.

 

And Seth, if you are reading this, your knock is always welcome.

 

 

 

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