I did something I never thought I would ever do.  In the spirit of transparency, I have to admit that I judged others for doing it which must make me an unreliable hypocrite whose word cannot be trusted.  And that strange and unexpected plot twist would be very possible without the benefit of evidentiary and justifiable reasoning. It is not lost on me that from the outside it probably just looks like quitting.  Or running away.  However, on the inside, and coming from someone who admittedly seems to be hellbent on learning things the hard way, it can only be described as a desperate act of resignation with a heavy dose of anger thrown in for good measure.  Maybe there is some truth to the whole “desperate times call for desperate measures” decree that is liberally dropped in and out of circulation more often than previously thought.  Even with the understanding that acting out of desperation is oftentimes a provisional sideshow, an otherwise manufactured distraction, that we call upon when we need time to reflect on our situation from a safe distance while concurrently taking a much-needed breath.  Or in my case, maybe that wasn’t it at all.  Maybe the universe just got bored or tired of watching me flail around aimlessly with my hackles up, so it stepped in and forced the change upon me leaving no room to challenge its decision and in no uncertain terms.  Having said that, as someone who doesn’t normally resist change, it was no easy task for me to relinquish control to the universe and accept its forceful intervention.   The change that was, in all likelihood, inevitable flew directly in the face of my strong belief system that has been hardwired since, well, since I was born.  I was raised to believe that quitting, also known as starting something and then stopping before it has been sufficiently completed, broadly implies a lack of motivation from an unambitious poor sport with a lazy attitude.  Notwithstanding the fact that I am slightly OCD, have a nonsensical need for symmetry, and generally dislike loose ends, the idea of quitting and not finishing what I started just goes against my grain and natural instinct to cross the finish line.   Scathed or unscathed.  These types of arm-twisting changes, that are propelled by the universe, are often misinterpreted, usually by people who shouldn’t matter, as the cowardly acts of underachievers who allegedly take the easy way out, quit, run away and/or sulk when they are not getting their way or winning.  But the truth is, I am the antithesis of competitive which takes the idea of needing to ‘win’ completely out of the equation; not to mention the fact that I have never thought of myself as a coward or a sulker or an underachiever for that matter.    Rather, I am just someone who is playing a hardcore game against my will and better judgment.  It is a game where the rules appear to be undefined, although, I’m not entirely convinced that there are any rules at all, and to be clear, there are no winners.  An otherwise ruleless and unwinnable game that you cannot walk away from or quit when it becomes overwhelming and insufferable.  This is called the Parent Game so, like it or not, the choice to quit or stop playing is not really a viable option that any parent worth their salt, or at a minimum those who are committed to the long game, can live with.   So, given the unpredictable, combative, protective, and territorial nature of this game, we all put on our big girl and big boy underpants, roll up our sleeves, sharpen our tongues, strap ourselves in, and we play.   No matter how we choose to play, or not play, we are undoubtedly going to be the subject of someone else’s ire and judgment.  Whether that is right or fair is barely the point because it is an unconditional fact; and facts, much to everyone’s surprise, ordinarily do not care if they are believed nor do they require a consensus of approval.  And as Eleanor Roosevelt put it, “Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for you’ll be criticized anyway.”  Oh, Mrs. Roosevelt, if you only knew the lengths that the current members of present-day society will go to prove you right.   By this point maybe you are wondering what I did that I never thought I would ever do that required a not-so-gentle nudge from the universe. As a result of relentless mistreatment, rejection, exclusion, and an overall reprehensible display of unkindness by her classmates and peers, along with their parents and even a teacher or two, I made the difficult decision to unceremoniously extract my 12-year-old daughter in her 7th grade year from the only school she has ever known.  Choosing instead to take the road less traveled, which for us, meant moving her to a new school where she could, fingers crossed, wipe her slate clean and get a fresh start on a larger-scale playing field of complete strangers. However, taking the high road, which by the way, is usually the one that is far less traveled, is not for the faint of heart.  Forging ahead on a new and unfamiliar path is isolating and lonely which invariably leads to self-conscious feelings of doubt as you ultimately question your ability to make sound decisions.  Let’s   start with getting the giant elephant that is sitting in the middle of the small room out of the way so that we can see each other more clearly.  I know what you’re thinking because once upon a time I thought it too.  And I was wrong.  You are probably thinking that I am just another helicopter parent who is raising a bunch of fragile snowflakes.  Maybe you are thinking that I am a weak and spineless quitter who is actively teaching my children that “when the going gets tough, the tough get going.”  Whatever that even means.  …