Reunited

At karaoke tonight, while I was looking through the binder of songs, someone came over to me and uttered: "I think I know you from somewhere." I enjoy having this line said to me because, as experiences have shown me, I have a "familiar face." When I went to college for undergrad, I apparently had a close resemblance to someone named Debbie, who had graduated a few years ahead of me. On more than one occasion, people on campus would ask me if I was Debbie's sister or relative. 

The girl continued on and asked, "Did you go to Kinnelon High?...CSE?" Bam, apparently we went to the same college. It doesn't seem like a big deal but when your tiny college has a graduating class of 230 students, I guess it does seem to be a big deal. 

The whole situation was just odd because her face did not look familiar, yet she recognized me from across the room. She also said, "You wouldn't know me; we ran in different circles."  That comment made me laugh-- how can there be that many circles or cliques when you're dealing with 230 people? 

Honestly, it was just a self-indulgent moment; I don't desire to be recognized all the time. In fact, when I am at a mall or something and see students from a distance, I tend to immediately walk in the opposite direction. This was a nice moment though.... 

Current Children

I feel sad for the current generation. Each day, I try my best to teach and to share knowledge. I recognize that even though I am the teacher, I can still learn from the life experiences and thoughts of 13 year olds. I try to remain open-minded. Sometimes, although not often, I am surprised by the insightful questions asked by students or the riveting tidbits that they already know.

When I come home from school, after the "work day" is done, I still ponder various aspects of whatever lesson I taught that day. I can't help it. Right now, I am teaching Anne Frank to 8th grade and Lois Lowry's Giver to 7th grade. Empathy for all victims of the Holocaust, as well as victims of other tragic deaths, persist in my mind. I contemplate the society that Lowry poses in Giver. I try to NOT think about topics I have taught during the day, but it just happens---those thoughts circulate in my mind. I guess it shows that I am a "good teacher" or (significantly less self-indulgent) that I simply care about my job.

Sadly, I think that a lot of today's students do not think carefully about issues and topics being posed to them. Case in point---a class reading from today mentioned how women at the concentration camps were not "permitted" to get pregnant. Somehow, babies still were born at these camps; one can assume that women were impregnated from sexual assaults and rapes. I mentioned this fact to my students and one of them commented, "It's not like that bad stuff happened to us. It's ok if we have happy lives."

Kids don't get the point. One can easily say, Oh, some kids just need to grow up and mature, but I think that's a cop-out. 13 years old and without empathy? It's a pretty bleak picture for future generations; at least they'll be able to accessorize their empathy-less selves with Coach purses, Ugg boots, Juicy hoodies, and Abercrombie jeans.

Fat Bottomed Girls

I used to think that Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" was inappropriate. Over the years, I've grown to like the song and find it to be a lively celebration of...girth.

Honestly though, there are some of us who look good fat and some of us who desperately need to shed some pounds in order to keep our attractiveness intact. I had a friend in high school named Stephanie. She was heavy all of her life. Facebook photos show that she is still quite heavy today. She "carries it well" though. Her body curves in the right spots and her face features full lips and round cheeks. She looks good heavy. People like her are rarities, but some women can pull off being heavy. I don't condone heaviness, just because of health factors. For beauty factors though, some fat bottomed girls are beautiful.

Me, as a fat bottomed girl, is a definite no-no. When I gain weight, my already small eyes become smaller, surrounded by fat in my face. My breasts stay small, as my stomach increases in its protrusion. My hips have always been prominent, but when I gain weight, there are extra mounds of fat, indentations that go back and forth, giving my waist and hip area a rippled effect.

All of these thoughts came to mind because I was trying on dresses at the mall this afternoon. At this point in time, clothing fits me awkwardly. Due to my recent increased penchant for beer and junk food, I feel crummy. Today was my first day back at the gym in a week+. I didn't overly exert myself, but it was pleasant to be on the treadmill with just music, my thoughts, and my feet moving.

I aspire to be an average bottomed girl.