Pretty sure I can say, unless you are a criminal, or have been a hostage of some kind (with all due respect to those that may have been, our military personnel, etc.) not many can imagine what it is like to have your entire future in the hands of someone else..solely based on WHO YOU ARE. I suppose we (35,000 plus American citizens) are all being held hostage. Imagine how it feels to be held hostage by your own country?

Literally, there is NO plan or vision for us past the end of June. Most people who know me, know by this time of the school year, I would be anxiously awaiting the end; looking forward to some time off (schools in NYS do not let out until the last week of June). I never imagined I wished it would be the end of July.

The usual question at work has started from both students and colleagues… “So, what are you doing this summer?” To my students, I say, “not sure, how about you? Tell me what you’re doing this summer.” To my colleagues, I just give a simple, “not sure”, and leave it at that. Any colleagues who know what Sam and I are going through don’t ask that question. Most have stopped asking us any questions they used to: “is there any change?”, “anything new?”, “anything I can do?” -because they know -there isn’t. Sam and I understand. There is nothing they can ask anymore because they know there is nothing anyone can do or say at this point (except the people in the photo above).

However, the question I am dreading the most will be during the last few days of school…Mr. Wanderlingh, will I have you next year?”, and my answer will be, a frightfully genuine, “I do not know.”

(Photo above courtesy of The DOMA Project)