The saga has finally ended.  As you may know from my two previous posts,  I was having a hard time with my 14 year old’s school rules.  To recap, they requested a doctor’s note to explain my son’s five day absence from school.  My son did not go to the doctor while he was sick as he had the stomach flu and had no energy, patience or desire to go to the doctor.  I kindly explained the situation to the school secretary who, after several conversations with others, demanded that I bring a note anyway.

This Monday, I sent my son to school without a note.  As soon as I arrived at work, I called the school to ensure they would let him back into class.  Again I was told he needed a note but I was passed on to someone else.  After explaining the situation to that person and yet another person, I was finally put through to a Vice Principal.  By this time I was losing my patience and had to get my work day started.

I curtly explained my predicament and the Vice Principal explained to me that as a school, they are audited for student absences and require doctors notes for a student who is away for five days or longer.  I painted a picture of my son being on vacation for 5 days and asked if he would need a note from the travel agency and why my word as a parent wasn’t good enough.  Crickets…

He conceded and allowed me to write a note for my son but assured me it was a one time deal.

I am still dumbfounded…

I am overwhelmed with the amount of support I have received.  Not one person has indicated they think the school was right.

In the spirit of keeping you up-to-date, I hauled all of my kids into the car and went to the doctor’s office in pursuit of the ridiculous note.  I walked in, explained the situation and the person at the front desk politely advised me that the doctor would absolutely not write a note for my son.  She let out a bit of chuckle and gave me a look that said “are you kidding me?”  We giggled together as we discussed the idiocy of the request and then I was on my way.

I knew my doctor would not write the note because after all, he is ethical.  I thought it was my duty as a mom to try.  Now I can politely (while biting my tongue) call the school tomorrow morning and let them know that a note from the doctor will not be submitted, as previously stated.

While I believe that rules are important, I also believe that every once in awhile, when something like this arises, common sense should kick in.  I do realize the person on the phone was only following the rules, however, after hearing me clearly recap the situation, she should have recognized that the rule may not apply this time.  I remember learning in school that there are exceptions to every rule .  I also remember learning that one should not take everything at face value and to question things don’t seem to make sense.

As Kat posted in the comments below:

“Let’s all put blinders on, open up a rule book and not think for ourselves.”

Stay tuned…

This is definitely a random thought however one that I feel important to express.

My 14 year old was at home this past week with the stomach flu.  He would wake up each morning but quickly realize he wasn’t going to make it to school.  He’s a good kid with a ninety average.  He went as far as to email one of his teachers asking if there was work he had missed and for another teacher’s email address to send the same question.

So what’s the problem?

When I called to advise that he would be away again, the school secretary/administrative assistant advised me that he would need a doctor’s note before coming back to school.  I politely let her know that my son had not been to the doctor and therefore would not be bringing a note.  I could certainly write one if necessary.  She thought about it for a second, put me on hold and then reiterated the need for a doctor’s note.

Losing my patience, I painted a clear picture of the situation for her, hoping that if she heard it again, she would realize what she was demanding.  It went something like this:

” So, to be clear, you want me to take my son, who is now well, to the doctor and ask him to write a note confirming that he was at home sick for the last five days, even though he had not been to the doctor?  You would like me to pay my doctor to write a note about something he knows nothing about?  Is that right?”

She put me on hold and yet again came back and advised that I would need the note.

What she was saying is they would prefer to see a note from someone who knows nothing about the situation over a parent’s word.

Does this make any sense to you?

In my last post, I mentioned that I am at the beginning of my journey as the founder of a software company.  Funny thing is, I don’t know the first thing about developing software.  I am what you would call a non-technical founder.  The idea is mine but I need someone technical to execute my vision.

I don’t generally hang out with developer types, so my quest to find a technical lead to develop the software, is not an easy one.  Ultimately the person who ends up being the technical lead will probably become the technical co-founder of the company.  After all, without this person, my idea is just that, an idea.

Because I am beginning the search for my Woz, I have decided to attend events I normally would not attend, like #devTO.  #devTO is a place where mostly technical folk congregate to collaborate on tech-y things.  I figure this would be a good place to meet and greet with potentially, the person who helps make my vision a reality.

While it’s absolutely necessary (unless I become a coder), it’s a huge leap of faith.  It will be my first test as the founder of an unnamed software company.

Currently, I am the co-owner of a hair salon (Greg May Hair Architects with my husband Greg) and at the early stages of a start-up software company.  I think most people would be shocked to find out about the latter as I am an average, normal person who happens to have a software need that hasn’t been fulfilled. I truly believe great products are born out of necessity or a gap in the market.  Once the software is finished (the first release that is), I hope to be able to take it market and share it with others, validating it’s purpose.

Arlene Dickinson‘s book, Persuasion, is serving as a great motivator at the moment.  Her story is compelling and inspirational and makes me believe I can achieve what I am trying to accomplish.

Another great read is Ash Maurya‘s Running Lean.  Ash guides the reader along the path of building successful products with a lean, bootstrapped mentality. His Lean Canvas makes it simple to communicate your business model using one page.

My double life makes everyday interesting and keeps me on my toes….on top of being a mom and a wife.  I’m exhausted just thinking about it. Do you lead a double life?  Tell me about it.

I did it.  I erased the posts of the past and I am starting fresh.

Why would I do that?  I really just wanted to start the year with a clean slate and make a commitment to blogging on a regular basis.  I’m not sure what regular means at the moment.  Perhaps once per week.

As the name of my blog suggests, I don’t have a particular focus other than to document my journey as a wife, mother, salon co-owner, a corporate EA and the founder of an unnamed software company.  It will be a melting pot of, you guessed it…various random thoughts.

Cheers to a new year and all that 2012 will bring…