I could be teaching right now. I’ve taught a few times, once as a college adjunct professor, and once in high school. Seeing that I keep reading that Montana is short of teachers, I’m thinking the local high school might appreciate the help. I’m too old to teach full time. I ain’t claiming I’m full of wisdom, but I could fill in here and there as a substitute.

But, you know, I read the paper, and I hear people talk at the PO when I check my mail, and hear the talk in the line at the grocery store, I’ve had the feeling for a few years now maybe the local school board wouldn’t appreciate me. Even those folks who are teachers and say they want the best for their students and their education will act like I ain’t had a Saturday night bath in a month.

Seems like lots of school boards and teachers have caught this thing I call the Fact Flu. It’s a virus that’s been going around for a few years now. It was circulating even before Covid, but most people didn’t realize it. The Fact Flu makes you not believe what you see with your own eyes. It positively blinds people. They can’t see past their own noses. Some people suffer from it their whole lives. There don’t seem to be a cure, at least one that works for everyone.

The Fact Flu virus got real bad when that guy named Trump was in DC. Before that, the Fact Flu was going around, but it wasn’t real serious, and people mostly kept the symptoms to themselves, and only ran a fever when they were watching all those TV channels that just served to get people riled up about things they didn’t understand. They’d get all excited and talk about what they said was true and what ain’t. Problem is, they weren’t thinking. They were just repeating what they were being told. And they were lapping it up like a thirsty dog.

I remember a few times at morning coffee, I had some rather heated discussions with folks about what exactly facts were. Those folks got quite feverish, and they got so red in the face I thought maybe I should call an ambulance. But I didn’t, because there were a few volunteer fireman and ambulance guys at the table, and they seemed to agree that sometimes, facts didn’t count for anything. I sort of hope that they will trust the facts when they saw a house burning or someone down on the sidewalk, and put the fire out or figure out if the guy was having a heart attack. Things like house fires and heart attacks are facts. I was about ready to hold up the catsup bottle and ask all the boys if this was catsup or it was mustard. That would have gotten some pissed off looks.

But to get back to teaching. I could teach. But why? The school board and their favorite Fact Flu teachers have chased the other teachers away. They’ve dragged this kind of political religion into school. They believe the lies. They never question anything.

One week, I could assign the kids a paper that is their opinion, and the next week a paper that’s factual, and then discuss the difference. How do you think that wild go across? Of course, facts still help you out even if you’ve got an opinon about something. Someone once said that “facts don’t care about your feelings.” Well, that’s true. But it’s funny to hear some of the Fact Flu people say that themselves.

I’m too old to deal with a bunch of yahoo school board members or other teachers who don’t think and want to stop teachers from teaching kids how to think.

And the kids? They’re young yet, and they can think. They need to be allowed to think and talk about it in school. I’m sure some kids have lapped it all up from their parents and teachers. They have the Fact Flu, and not much can be done with some of them.

But over the last few years, sitting on my porch or in the drug store or market, I’ve heard some of the local kids talking with their friends or on their walk home from school. And that gives me some pause. I don’t talk down to kids, or “think down” on them.

I remember my own teachers, and though some of them thought I was stupid, I was listening. And thinking for myself. And even then I could tell which teachers, usually only a few, were full of horseshit. These kids I hear were talking about what was fake online and what was true. And how you can’t believe something just because it’s on your phone. And how science is real. But also how newer gadgets and technology ain’t helpful all the time. And who among them might be suffering from the Fact Flu.

And I have to say it’s encouraging. Look out teachers. These kids will call bullshit on you. The kids are the ones who are thinking.