Hello friends, family, and strangers (I flatter myself)! I am a recently-graduated girl finding my way in the "real world" (apparently, I've been floating around the fake world for the past two decades). Many of my friends' "real world"s consist of cubicles, nine-to-fives, marriage, babies, and other such grown-up things. My real world looks a little different. Yes, I still get up and go to work every morning, same as they do. But instead of battling fax machines, computer programs, disgruntled spouses and dirty diapers, I arm myself against a legion of 14-year-old boys. Well, 83 of them to be exact. You see, I teach 8th-grade boys' Science in an inner-city, high-poverty school. What it is not: glamorous, prestigious, boring. What it is: humorous, heartbreaking, and the most challenging thing I will ever do.

The stories I tell and the people I describe are real; you can't make this stuff up. If you are new to my blog, I hope you'll start at the beginning and fall in love with its characters, just as I have.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

shut the front door.

My parents and grandparents have both recently brought up their concerns that I cuss too much in my blog posts. They don't know how to politely tell my adult self that they don't approve of the foul language I use regularly to express my thoughts and experiences.

They've tried to be joke-y about it: "Well K! We're just gonna hafta wash yer mouth out with soap, aren't we? Heh, heh!"

Then they've tried to act concerned: "You just seem so...frustrated in your posts! You know...that's probably why you say things like 'ass.' Because you're frustrated."

Both comments really translate to: "Didn't we raise you better than this? You were brought up to be a polite young lady who blushed at the mention of these offensive words! What happened to you? Where did you pick these things up? Certainly not us! We disapprove wholeheartedly and wish you'd stop!"

They seem to believe that I have millions following my blog, and that every single one of them happens to be a Puritan matron.

Relax.

1. About 10 people read this regularly.
2. You make up 4 of them.
3. The other 6 know me, know you, and will not judge your parenting based on my vernacular.

Feel better? Then how about this: Considering the fact that I lived in the sorority house for one year and have been teaching at RMS for a year and a half, we're lucky my vocabulary doesn't consist solely of obscenities.

Besides, if I started censoring my thoughts when I was writing these things, they wouldn't be very fun to read.

But since I realize that it's an unattractive and unladylike habit, I'll try to refrain unless it's absolutely necessary to convey the appropriate emotion.
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4 comments:

  1. A fly on the wallNovember 16, 2010 at 3:47 PM

    Oh please don't stop the cussing...it's my favorite part!!! Seriously!! We all know you're ladylike and wonderful, but cussing adds the funny to you! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. LindseyNovember 18, 2010 at 5:32 AM

    Tell the parents no need to worry...we all know what a fabulous young lady you are...and even if you have fooled us all these years, they still have hope in your sweet sisters!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lindsey SmithNovember 19, 2010 at 10:42 AM

    polite young lady my a.... butt.

    guess i could use some work too.

    see you in a few short days!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. ClareFebruary 20, 2011 at 4:56 PM

    I was sorta loving the cussing. Because it's funny now that we are "allowed" to. ;)

    ReplyDelete

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