Every so often I flick back through my old diaries and have a laugh. Or a cry. Today I found an entry from June 28, 2010 — just an ordinary Monday, but looking at it now, it feels like peeking into a time capsule.
Therapy on Four Wheels
Mondays usually started the same way back then. My brother John would swing past my place and give me a lift to work. Fortunately for me, we both worked in the same location and we’d chat the whole way in. Sometimes we’d bad-mouth other family members (sorry, family), but mostly we just laughed at ourselves. It was our own kind of therapy — four wheels, plenty of banter, and a good start to the week.
School without a Schoolyard
At the time, I was working in Distance Education. For anyone unfamiliar, Distance Ed is a flexible form of schooling where kids learn from home instead of a classroom. Lessons might be online, over the phone, or sent out in good old-fashioned printed packs that had to be posted. Teachers would check in regularly to keep students on track. And does anyone else remember those days when a trip to the Post Office was part of everyday life — posting letters and parcels instead of just clicking a button?
So Distance Ed is really school without the schoolyard. Kids logged in from kitchens, farmhouses, hospital beds, caravans, and sometimes even the backseat of cars. They were a mixed bunch: rural kids, kids with health challenges, families always on the move, and those who just didn’t fit the four walls of the regular classroom.
The More and More Phase
Work itself was in what I called a more and more phase. More teachers joining the team and the staff room. More kids enrolling every week, which meant more lessons to prepare and names to learn. And more and more parents and carers making more and more phone calls. Some were friendly and easy-going, others, well not so much. And then you had your usual few that were convinced their child was a misunderstood genius.
Gadgets, Gizmos … and Biscuits
And then there were the gadgets. Only working Mondays and Fridays, meant every time I turned up, something new had landed: That Monday it was;
- An enormous cappuccino machine that would’ve made any café jealous.
- iPads — which I’d never heard of and wondered why on earth we needed.
- And, most importantly, a steady supply of chocolate biscuits (not a gadget, but far more essential).
Looking Back with a Smile
It makes me laugh now. In 2010, I thought iPads were some strange passing fad. These days, they’re practically glued to people’s hands. The cappuccino machine? Impressive, sure. But let’s be honest — the biscuits were the real highlight.
So that was Monday, June 28, 2010. Just another workday at the time, but looking back, it’s a small snapshot of change, laughter, and a lot of caffeine.
Featured Image: A mix of doodle-style icons: car, diary, cappuccino cup, iPad, and biscuits, arranged like a scrapbook page.
Thanks to ChatGPT for the image.
