Energetic, Frentic, Busy--or Just Plain Nutz?

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/oppenheimer200501260747.asp

The preceding link is the location of an article in National Review by Mark Oppenheimer. ACircleofQuiet provided an excerpt of this article on her site (acircleofquite.blogspot.com) which is how I found it. I'm sure this is in the print version of the magazine, which by some agreement between the Devil and both National Review and First Things, I am designated the ABSOLUTELY LAST RECIPIENT in the Entire United States of America, World Without End, but I'm not bitter.

I responded to this author, telling him that he could not expect college students to suddenly live a reflective life, to know what to do with "alone" time, because it is my perception that their parents have never provided an example for them, and have, in fact, driven them from one activity to another from the cradle forward. I cited an example to him of the "activity-driven" life that would at first glance be that of an over-active teenager, but is, in fact, the life of a real first-grader that I know and love. I mourn the loss of his childhood.

I wrote to the author that while we started homeschooling for other reasons, the refusal of "frenetic busyness" is one of the main reasons we continue. In fact, on the days I regret the decision to homeschool, the last reason I cannot cross of the list of "Reasons BoyBob Will Not Have His Backside In A Seat in School Tomorrow If Not Earlier" is that I myself cannot face the frenetic busyness that is the life of a mom of a 9 year old in our world.

Mark Oppenheimer wrote long and well about this issue--better than I could or will--and I pat him on the back.

By the way, when you read this, please note that Stephen Fry played to perfection the Wodehouse character "Jeeves" when he won the part. And he thought he was just learning to type.