I love quotes. Adore them, in fact. Have journals full of them, far too many listed on my Facebook page and another million or so floating around in my brain for various occasions and circumstances. Some are serious, some are Biblical, some make you laugh, some make you think and some inspire or reassure. Or at least they do for me. And I can't get enough of them.
And so I have decided that quotes will be a part of this fledgling blog. Every few days, or every day, but definitely at least once a week, I will post a Quotable Quote. One of my favorites to share with you. Expect the same randomosity with these quotes and their sources that you have already witnessed in the varying topics of this blog.
I hope you enjoy them. :)
QQ:
"Promise me you'll always remember:
You are braver than you believe,
And stronger than you seem,
And smarter than you think."
Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh ( I told you those two get to me!)
Note-I shall also be including an "Out of the Mouths of Babes" segment sporadically. These will essentially be original quotable quotes from my kindergarten students. Prepare to be entertained.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Out of the Mouths of Babes-Quotable Kindergarten Quotes
"I just want to play centers, go home and eat chips!!"
Me too, kid. Me too.
Me too, kid. Me too.
Quotable Quotes
"All you need is 20 seconds of insane courage. Just literally 20 seconds of embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it."
Matt Damon in We Bought A Zoo
Matt Damon in We Bought A Zoo
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The Vindictive Delete
To me there are few things more satisfying to my soul than the vindictive delete.
What, you might ask, is a vindictive delete? Well, let me explain. It is that glorious, empowering moment when a person deletes permanently from their phone the contact information of a person who has in some way wronged them. Sometimes a man. Sometimes a person you thought was a friend. But always, always, satisfying.
It's petty I know. And small of me. But as a person who finds it hard to flat out confront people or tell them what I think about them and their actions, the vindictive delete gives me great comfort. It's my small way of saying-you don't matter (although obviously in some small way they do or their deletion wouldn't bring me such joy). You've wronged me, or you were wrong for me and you are no longer available to me. Not cellular-ly speaking at least.
Yes I am fully aware of the ridiculousness of this. Obviously the person you delete cannot FEEL you deleting them. Obviously it would probably be better to confront people, to say what you are really thinking and let the chips fall where they may. I really need to work on that myself. But we all know that doesn't always happen. We all know that even if it did, sometimes it doesn't make any difference. Some people are never going to GET it. Therefore-the vindictive delete.
So I recommend it. Go through your phone and give it a whirl. It will, inexplicably, make you feel better. Trust me.
**Warning-It is my strong recommendation not to ever vindictively delete in the heat of the moment. Let it settle for awhile or you will be faced with an uncomfortable text-versation with a deleted soul where you try tactfully to figure out who they are, without letting them know why it is you don't know (in such an emergency I generally go with the whole "new phone, lost my contacts spiel"). Godspeed.
What, you might ask, is a vindictive delete? Well, let me explain. It is that glorious, empowering moment when a person deletes permanently from their phone the contact information of a person who has in some way wronged them. Sometimes a man. Sometimes a person you thought was a friend. But always, always, satisfying.
It's petty I know. And small of me. But as a person who finds it hard to flat out confront people or tell them what I think about them and their actions, the vindictive delete gives me great comfort. It's my small way of saying-you don't matter (although obviously in some small way they do or their deletion wouldn't bring me such joy). You've wronged me, or you were wrong for me and you are no longer available to me. Not cellular-ly speaking at least.
Yes I am fully aware of the ridiculousness of this. Obviously the person you delete cannot FEEL you deleting them. Obviously it would probably be better to confront people, to say what you are really thinking and let the chips fall where they may. I really need to work on that myself. But we all know that doesn't always happen. We all know that even if it did, sometimes it doesn't make any difference. Some people are never going to GET it. Therefore-the vindictive delete.
So I recommend it. Go through your phone and give it a whirl. It will, inexplicably, make you feel better. Trust me.
**Warning-It is my strong recommendation not to ever vindictively delete in the heat of the moment. Let it settle for awhile or you will be faced with an uncomfortable text-versation with a deleted soul where you try tactfully to figure out who they are, without letting them know why it is you don't know (in such an emergency I generally go with the whole "new phone, lost my contacts spiel"). Godspeed.
The Sweetest Valentines
Monday, February 13, 2012
The Dreaded V-Day
Valentine's Day-the day dreaded by singletons like myself the world over. It is pretty much a day of torture if you are not in a relationship. Not that much of a reminder is needed for me to recall I am single but seeing attached friends receive flowers, watching the myriad of mushy movies playing and seeing the general lovey dovey feel that encompasses everyone is really above and beyond the call.
Now one might assume from the tone that this post has started with that I am a anti-sentimental, anti-romantic person consumed by bitterness. Not the case. In fact I am probably one of the more sappy people you will meet. Jane Austen movies move me to tears and bouts of wistful sighing. Songs can have the same effect. The other day I nearly broke down in my classroom at the tender closing scene of a Winnie the Pooh movie (oh, come on- Christopher Robin and Pooh just love each other so much! Their's is a friendship that transcends time!!) Hardened and hard I am not.
Well, maybe slightly hardened. A single girl practically has to be in this day and age. If I walked around proclaiming that I was waiting for a white knight to sweep me off my feet, that I dream of a man like Emma's Mr. Knightly or Allie's Noah in "The Notebook" people would think I was off my rocker. But deep down, whether they would like to admit it or not, I think every woman secretly wants that. It's hard to admit it. To reconcile the strong independent women we are supposed to be and that our predecessors fought for us to become, with the sappy ball of mush that most of us turn into when Mr. Darcy finally, finally, wins Elizabeth Bennett over. It's a troublesome paradox. And I will expound on it further when I finish reading "Captivating" a new book I have that has gotten some of these trains of though chugging through my mind.
(PS-I'm only as far as chapter 1 and I am totally sucked in. Anyone read it? Opinions/thoughts?)
The thing is-yes, I do want that kind of love. That, "good lord, they're so happy they make me sick" kind of love. And no, I'm not delusional. I realize that we don't see what happens after Elizabeth says yes to Mr. Darcy. I realize that love is not a fairy tale, that there are struggles and fights and hard times and even harder ones. But the best love story of all, to me, is being able to stay together, to work together through all that garbage and to, at the end of the day, still be in love with each other. To be a true team.
So to wrap up this random rambling post (the title of this blog was no accident) Happy Valentines Day! To those of you who are blessed enough to be in a happy, healthy relationship take just a moment to appreciate it and your significant other. To those who are currently not attached like myself keep waiting and praying for it. Good things are worth waiting for. I would much rather spend a little more time waiting for the right man, than wasting my time and emotions on a lot of wrong ones. And most importantly don't give up on love-keep your inner sap alive and well!
Happy Valentine's Day!!!!
Now one might assume from the tone that this post has started with that I am a anti-sentimental, anti-romantic person consumed by bitterness. Not the case. In fact I am probably one of the more sappy people you will meet. Jane Austen movies move me to tears and bouts of wistful sighing. Songs can have the same effect. The other day I nearly broke down in my classroom at the tender closing scene of a Winnie the Pooh movie (oh, come on- Christopher Robin and Pooh just love each other so much! Their's is a friendship that transcends time!!) Hardened and hard I am not.
Well, maybe slightly hardened. A single girl practically has to be in this day and age. If I walked around proclaiming that I was waiting for a white knight to sweep me off my feet, that I dream of a man like Emma's Mr. Knightly or Allie's Noah in "The Notebook" people would think I was off my rocker. But deep down, whether they would like to admit it or not, I think every woman secretly wants that. It's hard to admit it. To reconcile the strong independent women we are supposed to be and that our predecessors fought for us to become, with the sappy ball of mush that most of us turn into when Mr. Darcy finally, finally, wins Elizabeth Bennett over. It's a troublesome paradox. And I will expound on it further when I finish reading "Captivating" a new book I have that has gotten some of these trains of though chugging through my mind.
(PS-I'm only as far as chapter 1 and I am totally sucked in. Anyone read it? Opinions/thoughts?)
The thing is-yes, I do want that kind of love. That, "good lord, they're so happy they make me sick" kind of love. And no, I'm not delusional. I realize that we don't see what happens after Elizabeth says yes to Mr. Darcy. I realize that love is not a fairy tale, that there are struggles and fights and hard times and even harder ones. But the best love story of all, to me, is being able to stay together, to work together through all that garbage and to, at the end of the day, still be in love with each other. To be a true team.
So to wrap up this random rambling post (the title of this blog was no accident) Happy Valentines Day! To those of you who are blessed enough to be in a happy, healthy relationship take just a moment to appreciate it and your significant other. To those who are currently not attached like myself keep waiting and praying for it. Good things are worth waiting for. I would much rather spend a little more time waiting for the right man, than wasting my time and emotions on a lot of wrong ones. And most importantly don't give up on love-keep your inner sap alive and well!
Happy Valentine's Day!!!!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Teaching is...HARD!
Sorry. It's true.
Yes, it's rewarding. Yes, I love my job. But that doesn't mean it's easy and that there aren't days I go home worried about a student, worried about if I'm doing enough, or too much or just the right amount for these kids. And yes, I know that this is true in many jobs. But it is not true in many jobs that what you do or don't do on any given day could adversely affect a child for the rest of their life.
This post comes from a conversation I had last night about how under-valued and not respected teachers are in terms of being a professional (i.e. MANY years of college, many years of observations etc and most of all lots of money and time invested to get to where we are today!) It is beyond frustrating to hear people call us "glorified baby-sitters" or to say we don't deserve higher salaries-because trust me-NEITHER is true. I make enough money to love comfortably but when you consider the offset of what my education and years of training cost me my salary is not even comparable. You never hear people say that doctors are just "glorified boo-boo fixers". And really for me the money is not the biggest issue-it's the lack of respect that burns me up.
I'm not "just a teacher". To some of these kids I'm a parent. I'm a cheerleader. I'm a motivational speaker. In many instances (far too many with each passing year) I am these children's moral compass. The one that teaches them that yes, life isn't always fair and no, we can't always do and say what we want when we want. Someone has to teach them to share, to be kind to their friends, to be respectful of adults and their peers and the world in general. Mind you that is all added into all of the content and skills we are expected to teach them. You know reading and math. Because that's not a big deal. I feel like I'm whining or ranting or both but the more I have thought about this topic the more upset it has made me.
Let me finish out this post on a positive note. I am certainly not down on my profession. I love teaching and I love my kids. I love the fact that my whole room cheered this morning when they announced it was corn dog day in the cafeteria. I love that one of my students who has been struggling all year really stepped up this week and displayed, more important to me than excellent reading skills, the ability to be a good friend to a new student who was scared and anxious about coming to our school. To see him pat that little boy on the back and proudly declare that he was "my friend" was very rewarding. And those are the moments that make all the challenging ones so very worth it.
So, to be oh so cliche-Thank a teacher! Not to sound overly narcissistic but we deserve it and sometimes, we need to hear it.
Yes, it's rewarding. Yes, I love my job. But that doesn't mean it's easy and that there aren't days I go home worried about a student, worried about if I'm doing enough, or too much or just the right amount for these kids. And yes, I know that this is true in many jobs. But it is not true in many jobs that what you do or don't do on any given day could adversely affect a child for the rest of their life.
This post comes from a conversation I had last night about how under-valued and not respected teachers are in terms of being a professional (i.e. MANY years of college, many years of observations etc and most of all lots of money and time invested to get to where we are today!) It is beyond frustrating to hear people call us "glorified baby-sitters" or to say we don't deserve higher salaries-because trust me-NEITHER is true. I make enough money to love comfortably but when you consider the offset of what my education and years of training cost me my salary is not even comparable. You never hear people say that doctors are just "glorified boo-boo fixers". And really for me the money is not the biggest issue-it's the lack of respect that burns me up.
I'm not "just a teacher". To some of these kids I'm a parent. I'm a cheerleader. I'm a motivational speaker. In many instances (far too many with each passing year) I am these children's moral compass. The one that teaches them that yes, life isn't always fair and no, we can't always do and say what we want when we want. Someone has to teach them to share, to be kind to their friends, to be respectful of adults and their peers and the world in general. Mind you that is all added into all of the content and skills we are expected to teach them. You know reading and math. Because that's not a big deal. I feel like I'm whining or ranting or both but the more I have thought about this topic the more upset it has made me.
Let me finish out this post on a positive note. I am certainly not down on my profession. I love teaching and I love my kids. I love the fact that my whole room cheered this morning when they announced it was corn dog day in the cafeteria. I love that one of my students who has been struggling all year really stepped up this week and displayed, more important to me than excellent reading skills, the ability to be a good friend to a new student who was scared and anxious about coming to our school. To see him pat that little boy on the back and proudly declare that he was "my friend" was very rewarding. And those are the moments that make all the challenging ones so very worth it.
So, to be oh so cliche-Thank a teacher! Not to sound overly narcissistic but we deserve it and sometimes, we need to hear it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)