e is away....: Gucci Slides and Air Freshener

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OK ...all three kids are present and accounted for at PEA- all three have (at least when I left them), clean sheets and floors cleared of debris. Got a delicious 45 minutes with F the first night before I made the rounds of the rooms. Charlie came bounding down to greet me in Gucci slides with socks: a look he is hoping will catch on in New England. To say he is ahead of the curve on this one, is not in any way braggy. He was a little vague as to the whereabouts of his laundry bag, and to the purposes of a comforter cover. Sadly for fun lovers everywhere, he had to take down his 43 strands of Christmas lights because someone said they were a fire hazard and his house is made of wood.

They are now hung in the middle of the room in what he and I are calling an artistic expression of the suppression of expression everywhere.

His sister's room looked like a hospital suite, but with throw pillows and a rather horrible air freshener that she won't part with. F and I tried to explain that this was likely a toxic addition, but Hot Chocolate (name on her door when she moved in) was having none of it. She said her advisor gave her flowers the day before with a note that said: " flowers to brighten your rainy day"; something that has never happened at Wentworh Hall in 236 years.

Honestly, I think birds follow her around that place like Snow White. F has taken on the role of warning her about potential evil apples; he loves the place God knows, but there are trap doors in this kingdom and you have to be on alert. She just smiles at him in pity: Poor Frederick; so negative.
His friend Will says he is starting to get gray hairs.

Both Brigham kids are speaking a lot of French over there, which is just so cool. All three seem tired, occasionally stressed, occasionally inspired, and content.

My driver to and from the airport is this 60 something very overweight woman who is an RN. We talked about the relationship between the town and the school. 'The Academy', as people call it, has tried to quietly go about the business of educating youth "from all corners" while politely ignoring the educational needs of most of the kids on its doorstep. To be sure, the school accepts and delights in locals coming...plenty of kids are "day students". But most of the kids in the town of Exeter don't go to PEA; and the difference in their high school vs ours, is so extreme, one can't help but wonder if it ever gets awkward. Most of the kids probably enter Exeter with about the same education-sure there are South Koreans in calculus in 9th grade, and maybe even Town School kids know more Spanish or are better writers, but by in large, 13 year olds that want to attend high school are in the same ballpark. But then this warp thing happens - and the difference becomes exponential. One side gets doused with an intense, personalized, multicultural education, with science labs and sports facilities like that of a small college; and the kids at Exeter High get something less.
So I wanted to know how the locals felt about that. Mary said some were jealous, and a few thought it was inspiring. All of them wanted the Academy kids to keep waving when they crossed the street. (The kids always wave at cars that stop for them at crosswalks...it is handed down from older kids to younger- a tiny gesture, but it does a lot to keep relations warm.)

And of course the town would be much poorer without the business created by the school- all those Texans and Nigerians coming to stay and buy trinkets. I think they know this. But the humming sound that comes from those mysterious buildings next door must occasionally grate. It seems like it is the same dividing line that is in our country now- it's not about wealth (only) because so many kids who go to PEA are not rich. But they are talented, and they are inspired, and they have parents who dreamt big things. That's why they are lucky- they had someone who loved them enough to send them.

I have a few more stories, Ill add later. Wanted to get the photos up. xx