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Birthday? Again?

I spent most of the day in a computer lab of an elementary school in gritty-urban East Boston, observing students as they used a beta version of our next software release. To actually see kids using the program with such enthusiasm and diligence evokes a profoundly noble feeling; for once in my career, I’m part of the solution, not the problem. I hope that developing software teaching people how to read will compensate for the seven years that I spent developing software helping large organizational entities do strategic long-term capital planning across their vast real estate portfolios.

Despite my attempts to not be a distraction, it’s impossible to nonchalantly observe kindergartners in a computer lab. Before each class, the lab supervisor introduced me and my colleague to the students. “This is Miss Meredith,” she said. “Can everyone say good morning to Miss Meredith?”

“Good morning Miss Meredith,” they would sing in perfect unison, which totally freaked me out.

Although some of the little girls seemed fascinated by my blonde hair — not many blondes in this heavily-Hispanic school — my colleague drew more attention because he’s 6’9″ tall. “Is he the tallest man in the world?” a first grader asked me.

“Almost,” I said. “I think Shaq is taller.”

The major ice-breaker with the younger set is asking them “How old are you?”

“I’m six,” one little girl said.

“How old are you?” a little boy asked me.

“Well, tomorrow is my birthday, and I’ll be 33,” I admitted.

“Tomorrow is your birthday?” They all looked stunned, almost awed. Ah, I can remember when birthdays were the event of the year, aside from maybe Christmas. And now… birthday, bah.

“My birthday was in March,” the little girl said.”And I had a princess party.”

“Oooo that sound fun,” I said. “I hope I get to have a princess party!” But of course, no, I don’t. Give me some good conversation over a couple of glasses of wine, maybe a low-key rendition of “Happy Birthday,” maybe a symbolic slice of cake and I’ll be set for another year.

Posted in Existence, The 9 to 5.

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