and once again

One of my students e-mailed me: "sorry I wasn't in class but you know that car wreck in the news? That was a friend of mine."

(This is a student I know pretty well and they are not "playing" me*)

I told them they were excused for the day (we're supposed to report absences, which is a low-level bane of existence for me, and I am super generous with excusing people because life happens some times). I also told them that if they were not up to it Thursday (or if the funeral, which is apparently happening then, overlaps with class) that I would give them the exam a day later or so in office hours.

But yeah. 2019 is really cursed and horrible and really all we can do, I guess, is extend mercy to people dealing with bad circumstances. Yes, it's more work for me, but as someone who seems to be expected to be "back to normal" after the slings and arrows of the past nearly-two-months, and who is clearly NOT, I am not going to contribute to the suck for someone else, if I can make this student's life a little easier by allowing them a day's grace for an exam when they're mourning a friend, I'm gonna do it.

I've threatened off and on on Twitter that I will get a tattoo after this year is over, saying "I lived, b*tches" but I'm really not the tattoo type (and I suspect my allergies might contraindicate it). I'm wondering if I could hire someone who does those bent-wire necklaces to make me one that says that. Or maybe embroider myself a nice sampler. (And I could add the words: "2019 don't let the door hit you in the @ss on the way out")

Grief counseling is this afternoon and MAN do I have stuff to talk about. I am in a better headspace than I was yesterday, but I'm still sad and mad at the world. And still mad that I had to be so loud and pushy yesterday in just advocating for being treated with some basic human dignity.

(*And if a student did "play" me with a story like that....well, their karma is taking a bigger hit than any penalty I could levy. Especially since that class KNOWS what I've been through these past 2 months)