So it’s been one day since Harry started school. Not even one day. A half day. Because really, we’re aren’t on full-day schedule until well after Labor Day, which all just kind of makes my brain hurt. But that’s another story, and really, the important point here is that one hour into a half-day first-day-of-school, I was all oh hell no, this schedule is so not gonna work for me.
You see, we live pretty far away from Harry’s school. Like 45 minutes away…if the traffic isn’t too bad. And, honestly, this is the furthest away I’ve ever lived from anything I must attend to on any regular basis.
Why do we live so far away from the school? This is a long and boring tale involving an over-the-top amount of thinking, and hand-wringing, and I’ve bored so many of my friends with every detail of this decision over the past seven months, that I’ll spare you. But, yeah, the gist is, we currently live far from school.
On a related note, just the other evening, my mother’s half sister (who is hilarious and 84 and awesome) told me that some of the best advice her father, my grandfather ever gave her was to work close to where you live. His office was one block from his house. And he lived to be almost 100. Coincidence? I think so. But the point is, it is smart to work or school near your home base.
And while, yes, this is the best advice ever, it’s not always practical. For instance, I do not have a school or an office next door to my rural house, so really in my case, this is the worst advice ever.
More importantly, it won’t work. And I and/or James now have to drive a combination of somewhere between 45 minutes and 4 hours a day, depending on how we work it. And come on, four hours is dumb and lame and criminal. So. This is what I’ve decided to do. I’m getting an office next door to Harry’s school. This is not so I can be helicoptery and all up in his bizness. This is so I have a place to go and work that works. And one where I can walk to go pick him up after school.
I think this gist of my grandfather’s advice intent lies in the benefit of architecting our days so that our bodies don’t get too far away from our hearts. I’m thinking this will also help me live with my brain. And with gas mileage.
Commuting sucks. I always lived within a few blocks of where I worked until I moved to the the Bay Area. It does make your brain hurt, especially when you think about emergency situations. I live in fear that a large earthquake will hit while I’m at work and I won’t be able to get home…and I only have a cat, not a child. When I was married, my husband commuted a hour and a half in the opposite direction from my commute – the time spent on the logistics of the day gave me a headache! Your idea of an office close to school is a good one!
This is a genius solution! Another reason why I admire your thoughtful approach to things (rather than my impulsive, didn’t think it through approach to things.)
Can we meet for coffee near your office?
I drive 45 minutes to work two days a week and I hate it! My second job is 10 minutes and I love being able to run home if I forget something (Which I always do.). On a side not, I love the barn style door.