Terry--
A certain amount of solitude is a glorious way to live.
Noddy--You just don't even know....Perhaps I'll start a thread on the subject when I've finally caught up on my sleep.
Listening to my son Nigel's CD of slam poet Taylor Mali.
Here's a sample --
What Teachers Make, or
Objection Overruled, or
If things don't work out, you can always go to law school
By Taylor Mali
He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn
from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about
teachers:
Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.
I decide to bite my tongue instead of his
and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests
that it's also true what they say about lawyers.
Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.
"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says.
"Be honest. What do you make?"
And I wish he hadn't done that
(asked me to be honest)
because, you see, I have a policy
about honesty and ass-kicking:
if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor
and an A- feel like a slap in the face.
How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall
in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups.
No, you may not ask a question.
Why won't I let you get a drink of water?
Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.
I make parents tremble in fear when I call home:
I hope I haven't called at a bad time,
I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today.
Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?"
And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.
I make parents see their children for who they are
and what they can be.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely
beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell
either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains)
then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you
by what you make, you give them this (the finger).
Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference! What about you?
<standing ovation>
Wow, hadn't seen that before, it's fabulous.
Post it on Littlek's "I want to be a teeture" thread, too.
(The whole thing's great but I really liked the noblest act of courage part.)
Terry--
Start that thread! I'll join you (unless I'm in dire need of extra solitude).
That's a great poem for sure.
Thank you. I needed that.
Lots of smiles to offer today....
Most important: George has given me something new to read.
Evil smile: I was playing poker online (just always wanted to learn how....now I'm training for an amateur tournament) this morning against a player who insisted on raising with nothing in her hand. It irritated me so much that I made it my personal mission to crush her....and crush her I did. She kept raising and raising only to realize I was holding a Queen high flush. (Yes, my dear, that DOES beat your pair of aces.)
Smile of gracious defeat: I got my butt kicked by another player. She read me just right and nailed me with a King high flush to my Jack high straight. (I bow to the master.)
Noddy--I will, just don't have a lot of time right now.
Terry--
The less time you have, the more precious solitude is.
We can wait--cheerfully.
Two awesome p.m.'s in a row.
mrs. hamburger had a post-op check-up after yesterday's cataract surgery - got a report card with 20-20 vision in the worked-on eye, and a promise of the second surgery not being too far off
a oneinamillion A2K'r will be able to be in Noo Yawk at the same time as Walter and me (and hopefully O'Bill will make it in as well)
smile smile smile
and a coupla whooooooooo hooooooooooooos
~~~~~~~
and then ... I kept hearing this whispering at work. Eventually figgered out it was the gal whose desk backs onto mine. We've been suffering through the yakking of a new supervisor who sits on the other side of me. She spends 2 - 3 HOURS a day on the phone with her husband and kids. We know more about the preparation of rice/chicken/pork than we ever needed to - and the height and exact weight of each of her kids - and ...
my desk buddy wanted to meet me under our desks - she'd dropped some paper and I was supposed to crawl under my desk to retrieve it
We ended up spending nearly 15 minutes down there - enjoying the quiet - and organizing her shoes
If I ever get the new camera sorted out, I 've got a great photo of Randi and some of her shoes under the desk.
Gasp! She's going to meet Gus!!
Lash, this is the smile thread.
[size=7]sorry[/size]
I don't suppose you'll tell.....?
She's posted about it elsewhere - mac11 - known to me as maxisoneinamillion.
S'gonna be big fun in the big city.
EhBeth is a magnetic personality. There are advantages for being an iron shard in the presence of a magnetic personality.
Things happen!
Noddy, I have no intention of being affixed to ehBeth. Yes, she's a fine person. But I draw the line at sticking. A goil's gotta have her standards.
Roberta--
You don't skitter across the lab table. You point momentarily and quiver. Your soul is also a lodestone.
Pointing and quivering I can deal with.
been smiling for a few days now . as ebeth posted , mrs h had her first cataract operation on monday and the right eye is now 20/20 !
she is ready to toss her glasses ! the other eye will be done in april and we are hoping the operation will be as successful .
unfortunately mrs h will be able to examine all the specks of dust that i leave around the house again
.
hbg
