Early Retirement

 Into this mix I drop this little twist: Last week I went and stood on a corner somewhere between my school and my house and yelled at traffic. 

It's not the first time I did this. And not the first time I stood on that particular corner to shout at passing cars. 

I should point out that I was not alone. 

I was with a few of my co-workers. And a whole passel of other Oakland educators who had arrived at the appointed hour to shout at traffic alongside me. The powers-that-be in my union call this "The Hour Of Power." Gathering together with bullhorns and signs and our collective voice is a tactic used to show how unified we are. 

Just like we were in April of last year. It's how we put our point across. By yelling at traffic. 

Many of the cars passing by honk their horns, whether in solidarity or frustration it's difficult to tell, but we tend to see it as affirmation of our cause.

And just what is that cause? A fair contract, of course. While we're on that subject, it is probably worth noting that in my nearly thirty years of service to the city, county and state, I have only been working under a current and settled contract for a handful of those years. This is because the process of negotiation takes such an unbearably long time, by the time one contract has been resolved, it's time to start haggling over the next one. 

Back in April, I started wondering aloud to anyone who would listen if I might retire before I was required to go stand on a corner and yell at traffic one more time. 

Didn't make that cut, and the current landscape doesn't seem like there will be a lot of wiggle room for teachers in Oakland to have their new contract before I finish filling out my retirement paperwork. 

Which is what sets off the alarm in my head as I try to rationalize a universe that chose to take my fifth grade colleague, who was six years younger than me, before he ever had a chance to ride off into the elementary school sunset. 

Maybe while they're negotiating the next contract, they can figure out how that's fair.