Parental Suffering

We're back from the first middle school concert of the season. We got there early, for once. I had forgotten my glasses, which I need only for distance, so I took a seat in the front row. The only possibility that I wouldn't see my kid would be if she stood behind the piano. Guess where she stood. So, I moved to the only seat available toward the back of the auditorium. Unfortunately, this one was also on the side where the placed the soloists and instrument players. In front of my kid. She was in the 5th grade choir. It's usually fun to attend middle school concerts, as you can tell from grade to grade the progression the kids make. Not so much this year. The 6th grade was nice, the 7th grade was lifeless, and the 8th grade was puny. That and the mics on the soloists were poorly balanced, so two kids honking out "Oh, oh" sounded like feedback. Oh well, there's always Christmas.