In another part of the Buncombe County Commissioners’ meeting, representatives from Asheville City Schools appealed to the commissioners for funding for two new schools. Many people came to tell the commissioners how important schools were for children, but it was difficult to pin down any insights. The last thing I want to do is belittle anybody for caring deeply for children. But I felt something sheeplish was going down. The word “connect” was used so often, my notes turned into the lyrics to “Pyromania.” “21st century” was also used ad nauseum to describe a world none of us is yet equipped to imagine, but I stopped short of writing the lyrics to a Jim Morrison song. In the end, everybody agreed 21st century foxes – er, schools – were needed so badly we should proceed to build them, and the as yet undiscovered sources of funding would come.