Money money money- MOOOONEEEY!
Work has been about the same; although things seem to have gotten better it only makes me wonder what will go wrong next. We have a new girl who chews on her tongue. Sometimes I wish I could do the same, it might save me some of the headache that my mouth brings about.
A weekend is worth a thousand words
I spent all weekend with my parents. It was so nice and relaxing to be home again, to smell my mother on my clothes and to wake to the sound of her voice. This is one of the small joys of living. Something so special but so easily taken for granted.
Essays for my esses who hate essays
School ended on a good but frustrating note. My English teacher was having me review some essays from other classes (because I am just that good). There was one I found particularly interesting (and this is where the frustrating part comes in). It was a letter to the editor in response to an op-ed column about the holidays. The essay itself was horrible. No plausible links from one paragraph to the next and while his idea was good, none of his arguments were logical. I had also wondered how his classmates would view him after they heard his essay. His introduction almost made it seem as if he didn’t like Jews and had some sort of irrational expectation that everyone should participate in Christmas. My theory was confirmed after I shared the essay with Larissa, my mother, my father, and a couple of other classmates. All agreed that after his introduction, they could focus on nothing else because they assumed they knew what the essay was going to be about. In the end, this fellow’s point was that all holiday traditions have lost their meaning which is what the actual op-ed article was about. It was extremely difficult giving feedback on such a thing especially because there is no right way to say, “Hey I think you’re painting yourself as a Hitler-esque Christmas lover.” I had to buckle down and suck it up. I phoned him and after what felt like hours of small talk, I had to break the news.
“As you know, Dr. Winograd is having me review the work completed by you and the other students in your class.”
“Uh huh” I pictured him silently nodding- a sign that he might know what was to come.
“Anyway, I read your essay and there are a few things that I wanted to critique you on…”
From there the conversation just went downhill. He was offended at the thought of offending anyone. He didn’t see his essay as something that might spark argument or feelings of anger. I attempted to persuade. There was no winning with him.
After much frustration and wonder, I told Dr. Winograd that I tried to help but to no avail. She comforted me with the fact that it’s still his essay, not mine. Dr. Winograd emailed me yesterday and told me how the presentations went. Sure enough, Student X kept his essay the way it was. And sure enough, someone was offended.
What I’ve learned from this:
That there may be a first amendment protecting our right to say whatever we please but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we should say it.
That many holiday traditions have lost their true meaning but one shouldn’t forget there are still people out there who abide by “old school rules”. There are still plenty of Christians who think of Christmas as Christ’s birthday. There are many Jewish folks who go through their Chanukah celebrations. There are even more Africans who participate in Kwanzaa the way that it should be. Sure there is still commercialism and selfishness, stress and disbelief at what can seem to be the worst time of the year.
So this year, I’m dreaming of a nice, quiet Christmas. I’m hoping for a calm and peaceful Chanukah. And I’m praying for a better, more fulfilling Kwanzaa. And maybe I’ll ask Santa to give the gift of tact to Student X.
The Theory
Ahh and of course there’s “The Theory”. The Theory is something that Clarice came up with (although I coined the term) which many of us have been testing. Here’s what it is:
You say something. You may not believe it but you say it. After saying it for so long, your brain will catch up and you’ll be convinced of it (whatever “it” may be). Mine is that I’m over it. Over all of it. Over my love for Dan. Over my need for Cory. Over my deepest desires to be BFFs with Ryan. Not only do I believe this, but now the second part of The Theory comes into play.
This part is:
Once you change your attitude towards those around you, they will in turn change their attitude towards you. The first piece of evidence for me:
Dan sent me a text. Sure there was nothing in it speaking volumes of how much he misses me. He doesn’t. But the point is that he still thinks of me. And perhaps the only reason he does is because now I don’t care. The second piece of evidence:
Ryan now visits my desk daily. He extends the invitation to come to his. No more Jen seeking out Ryan. No this time it’s different. I can’t ever replace Kate. I can’t be some sort of friend that I’m not meant to be. So I got over it. The third and final piece:
Cory texted me last night. Just a quick hello but all the same, he was reaching out none the less. And I kid you not, no more than twelve hours ago did I decided I was over it.
Larissa and Nicole have both tested this with outstanding results. Could it be that we’ve finally found a universal cure for all that ails us? Something for heartbreak, something to quiet loud thoughts, something to calm brewing seas of anxiety, and something to put us to sleep at night. More on The Theory is to come. As we test it of course.
Fin.
