I expected to miss the classroom when I retired. I expected to miss the rhythm of September, the smell of new textbooks, the particular chaos of 28 teenagers discovering The Great Gatsby for the first time. What I did not expect was to sit down one Tuesday morning with my tea and realize that a very large number of people I had genuinely liked... had quietly disappeared from my life.
The concept album is a response to the brutal murder of Breedlove's father and stepmother at the hands of his stepbrother. The frame—the first song and the last—of the album is about the murders and their aftermath. But this is not a true crime record.
"Sara" is a close friend who suffers from significant mental health challenges. She is often sullen, easily offended, and quick to anger. Recently, she had a severe meltdown (which was never discussed), cut me off completely, and didn't speak to me for months. We patched that one up somehow, but her behavior is frequently challenging to the point where I question whether our friendship is worth it.
I realized after several months that, while I enjoyed Susan's company, her partner Mike is not someone I am comfortable with. He is a heavy drinker and makes sexist and racist comments that leave me cringing. I've reached out to Susan several times to suggest the two of us do things solo, but unfortunately, they are quite joined at the hip.
