I took my son to school today for the last day of 9th grade and drove away knowing he was extending a pretty impressive streak.
He missed a couple of days of school when he was in Kindergarten but has been to school every day since then. From first grade through ninth. That's nine straight perfect attendances.
Lou Gehrig was known as the Iron Horse during his days playing major league baseball. He played in 2130 consecutive games. It was a record that seemed impossible to break until a guy named Ripken came along. Cal Ripken broke Gehrig's record and kept going. All the way to 2632.
I'm afraid Brandon can't break the Ripken record. There are 180 days in each school year, and if you include the last 2/3 of his kindergarten year, he's at about 1740 school days in a row. If he's lucky enough to finish off his sophomore, junior, and senior years he'd be at about 2160. Enough to break the Iron Horse, but Ripken is out of reach.
But you know what? Even if his streak ends next August, I'm still very impressed.
How many days did you miss in school? I had some good years, including a four year streak of perfect attendance in high school. But going through first through fifth in elementary? With all the germs kids are carrying around as they trade crayons? And all three years of middle school? When peer pressure begins and hormones start to bubble?
I know, I'm a little biased. But I'm still impressed.
And most of all, very proud. It's a streak that means a lot to him.
My "Iron Horse", Brandon Barnes.
