The last 2 days I have ended up sitting in Doctors’ offices reading [1] Climbing Parnassus. Yesterday Timothy had his wisdom teeth out and today James’s strep throat reached proportions sufficient that even I felt the need to take him to the doctor.

I can’t begin to tell you the irony of the situation. As I am sitting there today waiting for Billy Ray (honest injun…) and Bobby Joe to have their turn, I am forced to sit right next to the television. So I am reading [1] Climbing Parnassus while The View is on. I can’t decide if I am happy The View is on and Regis and Somebody is over. Regis had a real live wedding and the preacher said that God is our father and mother. It made me wonder if the poor couple’s vows took.

I am reading the last 40 pages of Parnassus where the author makes the case, against his own will, for the cultural reasons we should study Greek and Latin. In spite of the fact that throughout the entire book I have felt ashamed and embarrassed, as I sit watching The View, I at least get to feel the smug satisfaction of knowing there is a Parnassus to climb. If we had a culture raised on classical ideas we would not have The View.

And all the while I am reading I am thinking of the question: Why do I think homeschooling has the advantage over Christian classical school? And I am thinking that I am in way over my head. That I review books I know nothing about. That I try to philosophize when I should perhaps be baking cookies. That I am 45 years old and 3 of my children have already graduated. That C S Lewis was talking about me when he said, “to be intellectual without intellect.” It is just too painful. But then there is The View and I know that
I may be on the plain, miles away from the foot of the hill but at least I am moving towards the mountain. I probably won’t get there but I can point the way.