The Great American Eclipse**Where will YOU be?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

44. I have never been to Kearney, NE. A couple of years ago I was in Lincoln, visiting a friend, and

we went to Omaha to visit her fiance. We are friends because our children were in pre-school together. Other than that, we have almost nothing in common. She's a fundamentalist Christian, very strong in her faith. The first few years of our friendship we absolutely avoided discussing such things, because the connection between us, because of our children, mattered more than our religious beliefs. It's hard to describe what her friendship has meant to me. On one hand we've bonded because of our children, as all of you who are parents will understand. On another hand, I'm horrified at her beliefs, as she may well be about mine. We mostly handle this difference by NEVER discussing such issues. Which is all very well.

On one hand I consider her a close and good friend. On another, I cannot fathom her beliefs. But I do want to emphasize the good of our friendship. When my older son was in sixth grade and it had become clear that continuing in the very good (and I want to emphasize the very good part here) public school system because he was being bullied, I turned to her for advice. Here's the relevant facts: My son was (and still is) extremely bright. Even in this good public school system his intelligence wasn't respected. On top of this, he looked different because he had alopecia areata, an auto immune disorder that causes hair loss. He had the most extreme version of this, called alopecia areata universalis. That last word is helpful. Think of the entire universe of hair. He had none. No head hair, no body hair, no eyebrows, no eyelashes. It made him look quite different from his classmates.

Anyway, when another mom told me I should not send my son to the public school's middle school, grades 7 and 8, and gave me chapter and verse what was happening to her son (a year older than mine) who was much better equiped to deal with such things, I called my above friend, whom I'll call Anne. She had five children, who at the time were attending four different private schools. She thought for a minute, and then named one of them. We paid a visit, and I never looked back. I enrolled that son at the beginning of the next school year, and then transferred his younger brother at the start of the spring term. It was the very best thing we could have ever done, and I am eternally grateful to Anne for her advice.

Well, that has digressed a bit. I am very much looking forward to my trip to Kearney and seeing the eclipse. And even if it is totally overcast that day (please, whatever or whoever is responsible, give me clear skies) it will still be totally amazing.

Oh, oh. The "Smells like money" comment I have heard in other places, and I find that totally offensive. Bad smells are bad smells.