Sounds Normal

The music was filling the halls. I recognized the tune, a Million Dreams, from The Greatest Showman. Every now and then, I could hear Kerri’s voice singing. The sound system in our auditorium is pretty impressive. I remained at my desk and had one of those moments where I just appreciated being in school, together with my colleagues. There were months when we weren’t together – teaching from our own homes and then there were the months of hybrid teaching where our specials teacher, although in person with us, were virtual teaching with kids.

Lured by my own curiosity and the music, I abandoned my desk. On the anniversary week of The Covid shutdown, I walked into the auditorium to see Kerri standing in front a small group of very socially distant kids in the middle of a chorus rehearsal. Yes, a chorus rehearsal. I admired Kerri for being in this moment that I got to witness. I admired her for all she had to do make this moment happen. I felt a sense of satisfaction seeing kids in an environment that was absent from their lives for months.

Late last summer, Billy and I were walking Maci in the neighborhood. Billy and I stopped to chat with a few neighbors along the way. “Best case scenario, we shut down in two weeks.” I heard one teacher say to another. Looking back, the past seven months have had shut downs and quarantines and stress and chas. But we’ve made it here, to where music fills the halls again! Congratulations and thank you Kerri!