Why do we wait for a close call before we actually learn the right way to do something? I did the same thing with sharpening for years, just winging it until a dull chain ate a whole afternoon, then suddenly I cared about doing it right. Seems like most of the stuff that sticks comes from some old guy showing you once, not from reading about it.

My buddy Marcus sat through almost the exact same thing in Virginia, a few years back with a different book, and he said the vote took less time than the Pledge of Allegiance. He texted me after, fuming because the board chair admitted during a break that she hadn't even opened the book, she just went off a list from a group online. He walked in thinking parents should have the final say, but he walked out saying that a single complaint shouldn't override the 40 other parents who were there supporting the book. Did you stick around after the meeting to talk to any of the board members, or did you just leave?