You are not alone

Living in the south there is never a shortage of conservative republicans. All one needs to do is open your eyes. So, it came to quite a surprise when I found a liberal at my school. We met over my computer, having simple chat about the new education legislation. Oh sure, we had met before, but never realized we were of the same thread. It was a beautiful moment. Here is the abbreviated conversation.

Him- “Do you still keep up with the public school politics?”

Me- “Oh of course I do, they closed my old school, what are these people thinking?”

Him- “We argue a lot about it back in my department, I lose everyday”

Me- “Oh my gosh me too!”

Him- “Why are we not eating lunch together?”

Me- “Oh My God I don’t know?”

Him- “If only I had known, we could have been hanging out all this time”

Me- “Where can we sneak away to each lunch next year?”

Him- “There is no where to hide.”

Me- “Wait, I have a cool friend coming here next year, we can hide in his room because he is new and no one will look for us there”

It was better than Christmas. And I love Christmas.

 

 

Life lessons you learn chaperoning high school dances

One of the perks of teaching high school is chaperoning the school dances. I know you are thinking how awesome is that! What could be better than going to a dance in high school? Chaperoning one that’s what. I liken it to going to a dance with none of your friends, where you are not allowed to dance, and must make sure no one does anything “dirty.” Good Times.

image from herrimanstakedance.blogspot.com

If I had not become a teacher there are so many things about life I would not understand. Here are the things I have learned from dances.

1. Going on a date in front of all your friends will always be awkward.

2. No matter how perfect you look when you walk in the door, your hair will never last through the night. Unless of course you have popular girl hair.

3. If you wouldn’t want your mother to watch whatever you are about to do in a public space in front of all of your friends, then for heaven sakes do not do it.

4. It is far less awkward to tell someone to stop dirty dancing then it to stand there and watch them dirty dance.

5. The nerdy guys in life end up with the prettiest wives. Do not let the school dance fool you.

6. Always dance. Do not worry what others will think. Always dance.

7. You do not have to follow the crowd to fit in.

8. Always look for the pregnant teacher chaperoning as a reminder of what not to do after the dance, during the dance, and before the dance.

9. Don’t dance with someone else’s date. People will not forget that.

10. It is not 1950 people. The music, the dancing, the dating has all changed. Tale a deep breath and jump in.

Everyone has their reasons

I often wonder why other people blog. What brought them to that very first blog, and what they felt when they clicked publish for the first time. I myself blog for various reasons. In my “real” life I am a teacher in a religious school in a conservative city in a republican state. This leads to a lot of me not being able to discuss my opinions, thoughts, or feelings on a daily basis. Sure I could discuss them, I just might lose my jobs, family and friends. Do I want friends I can’t talk to or a job I have to be super careful in that is another discussion for another day. For many years I just kept my thoughts and feelings bottled up. As many of us are trained to do from a young age. But as I became a parent I find it harder and harder to do so. I don’t want my daughter ever afraid to be who she is and say what she means. If I am not setting that example then how will she learn to do it? Secondly I had gotten to the point where I couldn’t sleep anymore. I had so many thoughts bouncing around in my head that I could not quiet them to sleep. So I decided to start writing out my thoughts. And it has changed my life. Just the simple act of writing out my thoughts on something as silly as something I heard that day and sending it out into the universe  is an amazing release. It is as though I am packaging little pieces of my soul and sending them out to share with the world. I know not everything I write will be loved by everyone, but no matter who I am someone out there will have a problem with it so I might as well be myself.