Why It's Great to Be an Adult

Today I had two contrasting experiences. I spent day 4 of a hearing in bankruptcy court, then I went to my daughter's back to school night. In each class, the message was the same: if we see your phone, it will be confiscated. I felt guilty because I was texting my daughter with my progress from class to class to let her know that I hadn't gotten lost yet. However, the high school experience really contrasted with the court experience. While I was sitting in court all day, I had access to my email and texts on my phone. While the U.S. Marshalls would never allow me to make a phone call while court was in session, I was perfectly free to email my assistant to let her know that I needed a document or more bottled water or just to let her know that I was bored. The smartphone is both an incredible communications tool and a great antidote to a short attention span. However, I can see why they don't allow their use in high school classrooms. Sometimes, it's great to be an adult.