I wish I was There

Tonight my Daughter Emily has her last Concert of the year for her Eighth Grade Band. She plays the bass Clarinet (she started out playing the Clarinet but moved to the Bass because no one else played one in the school). It will probably be her last performance ever. Next year she will be going to the High School and she elected not to take band any longer. Seems she is not impressed with her main band instructor. Apparently he is more of a frustrated musician than a teacher. He spends more of his time telling the students what he has done, can do, and how long he’s been doing it rather than taking a little time to teach somebody something. She’s been playing for three years (this is the first year at this school with this particular instructor) and she says that she has not learned anything this year, he just hands out music and tells them to be able to play it by such and such time. He even gave them a new piece on Monday to play tonight, less than four days to prepare, she said he will surly let them know if they mess up too. There has been no teaching, no techniques, no improvement, other than what comes with practice. And that has suffered due to non interest. She says a lot of kids are dropping out of band because of it. I think it’s a crying shame when a Lazy Bastard has dulled the interest of any student. But that is not what I wanted to say.
This is her last performance and I could not attend and it breaks my heart. My legs would not permit it, again. My sister Mytra took her tonight. Her mother Eva Lynn and sister Sage were to meet her there (her mother and sister live a few towns over and her mother works in another one farther away) my younger brother James will attend along with my brother Gary and his family, that is if my 5 year old nephew Charles’ Head Start’s graduation does not run over. (yes he is named after me, and he is a little shit if there ever was one) and my older brother Larry and his wife said that they will be there if they could, his health is not so good either. It’s times like this I really appreciate my family. Emily sure loves her family and she likes the support when she participates in these kind of activities. I wish I could be with them, I was in band as a kid and played ball and my Mom and Dad attended everything I did as long as Dad was not working. Emily is a good kid, she understands and if it did bother her she wouldn’t show it. She’ll be excited when she gets home and will tell me all about it, mostly about having the family together, that’s the best part for her. How did I ever get so lucky. Instead of band next year she has chosen a Computer Science class and a health and safety class that teaches First Aid and CPR so I can’t complain too much. She should be home soon so I’ll get off of here now, she says I’m on the computer too much anyway. Hey, she’s home right now. Later.