Tuesday, December 21, 2004

 

Home for Christmas

Well it's been a crazy month so I have not blogged in awhile...yes I know I have let down all the people who read this...all two of you... Anywho, I am now in Texas, enjoying fun and hilarity and thought it was time to share what I've been doing.

Finally finished up with teaching preschool. I have determined that everyday closer to Christmas excites children exponentially. It can be best described with this formula: Excitement= 1/(days till Christmas) x 8,000,000. It suffices to say that I almost killed any number of these children as their ability to listen decreased in direct proportion to their building excitement. (NOTE: After all these e-mails, none of you will ever trust me with your children will you? No...then I have been successful...Our future my butt... I did however get some neat gifts, a bunch of hugs, and the most tresured thing of all...the look on the parents faces when they knew they had their children 24/7 for the next 4 weeks! It's a beautiful thing!

On Sunday we drove to Texas. I, being the strongest, most alert, and, arguably, sexiest person named Christopher in the car, got the coveted shift of 12:30-6:30 in the morning. Don't tell my family, but I was only awake for half of it. The beauty of Texas and Oklahoma is that you can set your cruise, go to sleep, wake up an hour later, and you're still on the road. Sure you may have hit a cow, sheep, or die-hard Republican...but no real loss. We finally got in safe and sound and are now doing all the family stuff you love to do every year and are glad happens only once a year!

So, needless to say, update your blogs with fun and hilarity or e-mail me. Cause if you don't...let's just say the noose is braided!

Friday, December 03, 2004

 

The Birthday Party

It is joked about, parodied, and used by just about every one of us at one time or another as an hilarious statement, but today...Yes TODAY...I heard the phrase, that has spanned generations, used in a tone of seriousness that I had forgotten could be achieved. Yes, this morning when one girl wouldn't share with the other I heard:

"I don't like you. You can't come to my birthday party!"

Oh yes, it was said! But the best part of the entire episode was the reaction of the offending girl to her apparent dismissal from the ranks of future birthday guest. She was poleaxed and, although normally one of the loudest in the class, said nothing in her defense. She just sat there and after a minute said:

"I'll give it to you if I can come to your birthday party."

I couldn't believe it! She folded like a two dollar tent (I know...there are worse "folded" phrases, but this is a family blog...shame on you...). With only the threat of a future punishment, a punishment that was, in effect, ludicrous (I don't think the girls are friends outside of school; she probably wouldn't have been invited anyway...cause she was fat...) the offended party was able to win a concession from the offender. I just couldn't believe how easily she was mainpulated. But then I thought, are we that much different?

If you take the event and look at the real issue, it might go more like this:

Child #1: Your actions have caused me displeasure, due to either my desire for said object or your recent illegal acquisition of aforementioned. Furthermore, your decision will have the following repurcussions: 1) You shall no longer be invited to my soiree which, in effect, means that I refuse to accept you as a person that is worthy of attending my event. 2) I shall say it loudly so that all in attendance become aware of your expulsion from "party central" and thus will look down upon your actions as well. 3) Acceptance may be granted again under sub-clause B, which reads: "Give my toy back." Your rebuttal.

Child #2: Your reaction to my behavior has caused me to feel shame. I will gladly give back the offending object if you will merely allow me to feel included again. There is no pain greater than the one I am feeling right now; it is the sharp knife point of loneliness. Please forgive me!!!! PS: You can poop on me if you want...

Now, while this example is ludicrous (what...Christopher...ludicrous...) it does seem to me that we can most see in children the need for acceptance. What is funny is that it often doesn't matter if it's a forced acceptance. Most children are just as happy when the teacher makes the others let them play as if they had been welcomed all along. At this particular age, a child can say "I don't like you" and it is not nearly as dreadful as "you can't play with me". As we grow, though, we become more aware of intentions and forced acceptance isn't enough; we want to be proactively wanted and many will do most anything to make people do just this. But is this not, like the guess what story, merely an evolved form of the "birthday party"? Do we not often sublimate our own feelings and desires in order to gain "acceptance"?

In closing, after watching these children I have concluded that, while it is good to get along with people and everyone wants to be liked, sometimes it seems it might be better to be the one at home...all alone...just like middle school...and high school...and college... And hey, look on the bright side...there probably won't even be strippers there...please someone love me...

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