All posts by Emily

Well Then Let’s Just Say You’re My New Best Friend

Kids/Teaching,

In a lesson about text interpretation, our class analyzed the Cyndi Lauper song “True Colors” (because it fit the lesson, and also because if these kids don’t know who Cyndi Lauper is, I’ll cry). After playing the song a few times and discussing it, we asked the students to write a response explaining the song’s meaning.

Twenty minutes later, a kid (9 years old) approached me with his finished essay. The opening line read:
“The lyrics say ‘Let your colors show,’ and that means that you have to express your feelings and let the beast inside of you awaken so that you can become who you truly are destined to be.”

I read this aloud and laughed, impressed but also wondering where the hell he came up with that phrasing.

The kid leaned in close, utterly satisfied with himself, and with a straight face said– “Let’s just say I watch a LOT of Oprah.”

I stopped reading and gave him an A+.

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Let’s NOT Call a Spade a Spade

Being Awkward/Dumb Stuff I Do, Friends, Random Thoughts/Happenings

Yesterday I learned that the expression “let’s call a spade a spade” has racist undertones (check it out here at Wikipedia, source of all FACTS). I had NO idea. I use this phrase all the time– with friends, with my students, with myself (yeah, I talk to myself. Topic for another day).

Anyway, when I found out this phrase has racist origins, I FREAKED OUT. I immediately texted my friend Adam, who is a general knower of things, to see if he knew this. He didn’t. So that made me feel better. As did THIS reassurance:

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Oh ok. Phew.

Things I Learned in Therapy Today

Mental Health, , ,

Never say to your therapist, “It’s complete batshit insanity!” in reference to a fairly common work problem. Because their insanity scale is slightly skewed, and starting your story with this statement is bound to produce an unimpressed reaction when you hit the big “And THEN I was expected to finish ALL THAT PAPER WORK in only TWO days!” climax.

Oh also it’s highly offensive and insulting to their entire profession. And to you.