tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8256327115113694282024-03-13T15:39:11.496-04:00In Judith's RoomNaomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-89933601167723823692017-01-16T13:54:00.001-04:002017-01-16T13:54:21.142-04:00Safta Loves me Best!<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Safta Loves Me Best!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; text-indent: .5in;">
Reflections
from Frances Eve Bilmes’ Only Granddaughter<o:p></o:p></div>
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January
2017<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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My Safta Bilmes always loved
reading my blog. She would <i>always</i>
send an email commenting on what I had written, often asking questions or
telling a related story from her life. Safta loved my blog so much that she
would send my posts to her friends--and sometimes I would hear from <i>them</i> about something I’d written. In honor
my Safta, here is another “post.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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My blog, entitled “In Judith’s
Room,” got its name from Virginia Woolf’s idea that every woman, in order to be
a writer, needs to have money and “a room of one’s own.” Thus, this blog began
with a feminist leaning--which is <i>highly</i>
fitting for my Safta Bilmes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Frances Eve Bilmes was a feminist
through and through. She was one of the first females to graduate Michigan Law
School, and, after fighting through years of law firms offering her secretarial
positions, started a law practice with her husband Murray. They were Bilmes and
Bilmes. She practiced mostly family law, and had a great deal of experience
with divorce cases, often representing women and children. She was very active
in Hadassah and in her Conservative synagogue. During the 1960s and 70s,
Conservative Judaism did not include egalitarianism, but Safta thought it
should. Every shabbat, she pestered the gabbai to get an aliyah, and she wanted
to wear a tallit. I never asked her what she thought of the Conservative
movement now, but I’m sure she must have been thrilled with how far it’s come. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite her feminism, Safta was
also a traditionalist; a combination that I aspire to espouse in my own life.
She had a husband and five children, and everyone loved her dearly. She was a
committed mother and, in later years, grandmother. She was very invested in her
family, and although she considered becoming a rabbi, she decided against it
because it would mean uprooting her family from a place they loved. She also made
sure to cook for her family--although, as I’ve heard from my dad, uncles and
aunt, the most prominent flavors were “burnt” and “dry.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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All of the above I learned from the
older generations: my Saba, my great uncle, my parents, and my aunts and
uncles. Frances Eve Bilmes was a fabulous wife, mother, and feminist--but
that’s not how I knew her. She was my beloved Safta--my grandmother--an
entirely different relationship. So what defined the Safta I knew?<o:p></o:p></div>
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First of all, the stories. If I
asked the right questions, amazing stories would pour out. There was the one
about her college roommate who didn’t like her because she wasn’t from a rich
family. Safta punched her. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There was the one about her getting
rejected from the University of Michigan and writing to the admissions office
in protest. It worked. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There was the one in which she
moved to the co-op at Michigan, and was very surprised to walk in one day and
see people “fornicating on the floor” of the shared living area. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There were tales of the constant struggle
between Safta and her mother-in-law, a woman who thought Frances Eve just
wasn’t good enough for her son. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There was the story of Frances and
Murray’s first date: Friday night services at her Reform temple. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The most famous story, I think, is
the one about a robbery in Saba and Safta’s Manhattan apartment when they were
first married. Safta was home at the time of the robbery, and when the police
questioned her afterward, they asked, <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Did he touch you?” She didn’t know
that “touch” was a euphemism for rape, so she answered, <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Yes!” That took some clearing up. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Another defining element of my
Safta Bilmes was her jewelry--especially her earrings. She loved big, gaudy
earrings and it seemed to me that whenever I saw her she was wearing a
different pair. Her necklaces were also large and colorful (to go with her
bright clothing, of course). I loved picking out earrings to give to her, and
it was sad for everyone when, in her later years, one of her earlobes ripped so
she could only wear earrings in one ear. But wear that one earring she did!
Often, she would give me and my mother gifts of jewelry. Most of the time, we
kept them in their boxes and admired them occasionally (or took them out for a
flashy holiday costume). They were just too gaudy--not our style. But they
would have looked great on Safta. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition to jewelry, Safta had a
ton of journals. She began her diaries when she was a young woman, and only
stopped when her arthritis prevented her from writing. Her consistent
diary-keeping was and still is so inspirational to me. I began my own diary in
fifth grade. When I realized in high school that my grandmother <i>also</i> kept diaries, I thought it was so
special that we <i>both</i> did it. I have a
long way to go before I fill as many volumes as she did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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We also both connected with another
famed diarist: Anne Frank. In high school, I performed as Anne in my school’s
play, and Saba and Safta Bilmes came up from Florida just to see me in it. Of
course, they loved seeing me on the stage, but they also felt an intense
connection with the history of European Jewry embodied in the play. Both Saba
and Safta connected deeply to cultural and historical Judaism; they felt a
strong sense of peoplehood, and my Saba still asks, “Is it good for the Jews,
or bad for the Jews?” During almost every visit, the word “antisemitism” came
up, and it still does for my Saba (he also likes to the throw the word “bastard”
into that conversation). Safta’s Judaism is not my Judaism, but for that I am
grateful. Because of the specific way she lived as a Jew, my dad emerged
committed but still searching. This led him to my mom, and well, you know the
rest. They got me: the religious, Jewish feminist teacher and writer. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And oh, how my Safta Bilmes loved
the world of words! Once I was in college, my mind had developed enough to
enter the cut-throat world of Bilmes Scrabble. I played with my uncles,
cousins, brothers and my two grandparents--and Safta usually won (although
sometimes Uncle Joshua or Uri would steal a win). In addition, Safta did word
puzzles in the newspaper and played the Word Game Challenge at her assisted
living home. She also read books. So many books. Novels, biographies, other
non-fiction...for most of her life, whenever she read a book, she wrote down
the title and author in a book log. Can you imagine having a list of all the
books you’ve ever read?! For some books, she even had a parenthetical comment on
its quality: “(not good)” “(disappointing)” “(too long).” There were a few
periods of time when I tried to imitate Safta’s meticulous literary record
keeping, but I always trailed off after a few months. Now there’s this thing
called “Goodreads,” but somehow I always forget to update that, too. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But who needs the internet when you
have a pen and paper? For most of Safta’s life, the internet did not exist, or
existed but was not widely accessible--and thank goodness for that! Safta loved
sending mail--real mail (I think she may single handedly have kept UPS in
business). As many of us know, she was most famous for her greeting cards. This
part of our granddaughter-grandmother relationship overlaps with her
relationships with others. Whether she was your mother, wife, relative, friend,
potential relative, potential friend, or potential enemy, she sent you a card.
Every speaker at her funeral mentioned the greeting cards with a wide grin of
amusement and endearment. Her card-sending passion surpassed even that of
Hallmark employees. She kept records of everyone’s birthdays, anniversaries and
graduations, and she always sent the cards on time. She also mailed cards for
Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah, but I daresay her favorite card-sending holiday was
Valentine’s Day. Sometimes she sent cards just because, or maybe she and Saba
had found an article I would like and, hey, might as well tuck it into a card!
When the internet came around, she used it to optimize her own system: now she
could order LOTS of cards at once, saving time and money. As her handwriting
deteriorated over the years, she wrote less inside the cards, but they still
arrived with gusto. Today is my 26th birthday--and no card has arrived from
Safta in the mail. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Although
her mail habit seems contra to modern technology, she embraced the internet
where she could. She definitely figured out email, and sort of figured out
Facebook; I always laughed quietly to see what combination of colors and
capital letters she would write in. When I was in college, we began
communicating a good deal by email, and I would often tell her and Saba about
the books I was reading, the classes I was taking, the plays and movies I saw,
and the boys I was dating. I later learned that if I told her about a beau, it
was the same as telling my entire family. <o:p></o:p></div>
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She and Saba had one email address
for the both of them, so I never knew who to expect a response from. Often I
got both. The best responses from Safta were the ones in which she responded to
my stories with tales of her own, and then offered words of wisdom. For
example, after I wrote to her about a few interesting dates I’d had, she
regaled me with stories of all the interesting men she dated before my Saba.
When I reported that I was no longer seeing someone, she wrote, <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 31.5pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: red; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-highlight: white;">W</span><span style="background: white; color: #fc2218; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-highlight: white;">ell, Naomi, you have heard the expression, "plenty of
fish in the sea". And just when I
learned to spell his name right….Well, when you are young, it is good to keep
your options open. So now do you go back
to J date, or just let it rest for a while.
You might meet "Prince Charming on the "T". Love, Safta Bilmes</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Yes, she really did write that in red. No, I never used
JDate. <o:p></o:p></div>
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She often
closed her emails with phrases like these: “Much love from your proud Safta
Bilmes,” and “YOU LIGHT UP OUR LIVES!” Her emails were often short and sweet
and exemplified her essence. For instance, here’s an email thread from 2015:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Safta</span>: “<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-highlight: white;">On simchas Torah, I wore my
green wig to exercise and breakfast, finally taking it off when it became too
hot and cumbersome to wear. Love, Me”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 31.5pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-highlight: white;">I wrote
back: “Is this a simchas Torah tradition? When did it start?</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 31.5pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-highlight: white;">Love,
Naomi”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 31.5pt;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-highlight: white;">She
replied: “Eons ago at Temple Sinai, when women could do nothing ritual wise, I
decided that when I got to a synagogue that allowed women participation, I
would, and when we were in Florida, I saw a red and green wig, and decided on
the green. Love, Safta Bilmes.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-highlight: white;">That email speaks for itself. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-highlight: white;">* * *</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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In the past
year, as her physical abilities declined more sharply, much of what defined our
relationship fell away. What took its place were hour-long visits to her
assisted living home in West Hartford, and very brief phone calls. She was
still all there inside, but couldn’t come out the way she used to. I missed
her, even while she was alive. During these last few years, though, she always
ended our visits with, “I love you very much.” I would hug her and reply, “I
love you, too, Safta.” It was almost as if she knew that she couldn’t express
her love in the active ways that she did before--so she resorted to words,
plain yet full. In her final years, those words were more than enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My last
visit to her was the night before she died. I had called on Friday afternoon to
tell Saba and Safta that I had a boyfriend and I was bringing him to meet them
this weekend. They were thrilled. Despite our previous boy-related
correspondence, I had never actually brought one to meet her. We arranged to
come on Saturday night, and Safta was surprisingly full of energy. The first
thing she did was ask my boyfriend what he does for a living and where he went
to school. Once that was out of the way, she told humorous stories--and laughed
before delivering the punch lines. She kept interrupting Saba, either because
she couldn’t hear him or because she had so much to say. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Partway
through the visit, I noticed that something inside me had settled. It was a
good visit, and it felt warm and right to be there. I basked happily in the
glow of love from three different people, and I emitted love as well, adding to
the warmth. We said goodbye with the usual “I love you”s and I left feeling
full of peace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Less than
twelve hours later, Safta was gone. I couldn’t believe it. I had <i>just</i> seen her. I was shocked--but also,
I realized, not shocked. I had been expecting this for the past few years. I
had expected frantic phone calls and hospital visits. I had expected the worst.
But what happened was actually the best it could have been. She died in her
sleep, only a few feet away from the man she had been married to for over 62
years. She’d seen her only granddaughter on her last night, and her
granddaughter was happy. She’d recently been to her youngest son’s second
wedding, and celebrated the birth of her first great grandchild. She had a lot,
and she was grateful. Genesis 24:1 says, “Avraham was old, he was coming along
in days. And God blessed Avraham <i>bakol</i>:
with everything.” Safta lost a lot as she got older: mobility, agility, independence,
strength. But in some sense, she had everything. She had her husband and the
rest of her family. She had books. She had greeting cards. She had brains. She
had her memory. She had a great grandson. She had a granddaughter who was proud
to be an American Jewish woman. None of her grandchildren had gone to the
University of Michigan, but none of us went to Michigan State either, so I
guess that was okay. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Losing a grandparent is an odd sort
of experience. No one knows if you were close or distant, so the assumed level
of grief is generally minimal. The hardest thing is watching your parents deal
with the loss. For the week of shiva, I was so focused on my parents and my
Saba that I didn’t have time to grieve myself. It wasn’t until a week of
regular life had passed that I realized that something huge had changed in my
own life: a sizeable chunk was missing from my family. Certain verbs would now
change to past tense and a grandparent unit which had always been two would now
be--impossibly--one. Safta, your death was not tragic, nor was it untimely, but
it is still a great loss. However, I know you want us to keep laughing,
singing, and playing Scrabble together--so that is what we shall do. Love
across the miles! Love from your favorite granddaughter, Naomi. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-58179332258285190002016-09-03T22:18:00.000-04:002016-09-04T10:24:23.204-04:00A Prism of Time and Space<div style="text-align: right;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Shabbat: A beautiful prism of Time and Space. </div>
</div>
<br />
Time: For Conversation face to face,<br />
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Torah<br />
Reflection<br />
Prayer<br />
Song<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Space: For walks and </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Community. </div>
A few examples.<br />
<h3>
<i>Conversation face to face:</i> </h3>
<i>I'm feeling intense today.</i><br />
<i>Me too!</i><br />
<i>I'm so confused about Judaism. And I don't think I'll ever be NOT confused. </i><br />
<i>I agree! I mean, about me. I have no right to project about </i>your <i>confusion.</i><br />
<i>For instance: Kashrut. Guys.</i><br />
<i>Yes, And: Is halachah from God?</i><br />
<i>Yes, And: Is halachah the best way to form a community? Two different questions.</i><br />
<i>And good ones!</i><br />
<i>We have to ask both.</i><br />
<i>I think it would be easier to obey all of halachah if I believed it was all from God. But I don't. </i><br />
<i>Yes, And?</i><br />
<i>Halachah can be beautiful and create meaning. And that's what we all want in life -- to find meaning.</i><br />
<i>(nodding emphatically) And it can create community. </i><i>Also SO important. </i><br />
<i>Yes, </i><i>But: Let's say I think halacha is from the rabbis and it's really valuable because they were pretty smart and it's been passed down and has evolved into a beautiful tradition. What do I do when I disagree with halacha? How do I interact with that struggle?</i><br />
<i>Like the sexist parts?</i><br />
<i>Yes, those. And the whole industry of "kashrut." Why can't people just trust each other and not eat the things we're not supposed to eat? Why do we need all those funky symbols on packages?</i><br />
<i>(Sarcastic comment from interloper): Wait, people used to trust each other? With kashrut?? </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<h3>
<i>Torah:</i></h3>
<i>Here's a joke: God says to Moses, "Don't boil a kid in its mother's milk." Moses says,</i><br />
<i>"Okay, so that means don't eat milk and meat together." God says, </i><br />
<i>"No, I said d</i><i>on't boil a kid in its mother's milk." Moses replies,</i><br />
<i>"Oh, I get it: we'll wait six hours between milk and meat."</i><br />
<i>God says: "Fine, have it your way."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>There is no definitive reason WHY Jews separate milk and meat. But today I heard a beautiful and symbolic interpretation. Meat represents death and violence, while milk represents life, nurturing and mercy ("the milk of humankindness"). We should not purposefully mix the two. We should not purposefully mix life and death. Life is now, and death will come when it comes. We do not live for the afterlife, but we live for </i>this<i> life. Cherish life, and do not await death.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I've also heard this reasoning applied to the laws of niddah (sexual laws surrounding menstruation). Blood from the woman represents death--a child that was not born. We must wait until this period of 'death' is over before resuming the act of creating life. Again, life and death remain separate. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Yes, And: Why separate? Do they each become more holy in their separation?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<h3>
<i>Reflection:</i></h3>
<div>
<i>Everyone has a curriculum: the central task of life; parts of the self that repeatedly challenge each person. Our task is to recognize the curriculum and begin to master it. Why? Not for the sake of ourselves, but for the sake of the world. "The task is to fill yourself up with wisdom and knowledge until you brim over, and the overflow spills out of you and into the adjacent vessels, who are other people." </i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>-From </i>Everyday Holiness<i>, by Alan Morinis</i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>The task is to work on the inner life; the rich map of emotions, thoughts, uplifts and plunges that carry me through the day. And of course, this task is never done. Like the study of Torah, there is no end goal to be reached. You cannot be perfect, and you cannot learn all of Torah. But no matter what you learn, you will always be better than you were before. And that is a comforting thought. </i><br />
<br />Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-58748298339022585912016-07-07T21:33:00.002-04:002016-07-07T21:33:54.306-04:00The FlowersA poem in the style of William Carlos Williams:<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>The Flowers</i><br />
<br />
He gave me<br />
purple and yellow flowers<br />
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in a pot of soil.<br />
<br />
The pot had<br />
a plastic hook<br />
but I had nowhere<br />
to hang it.<br />
<br />
They lived on my porch<br />
so<br />
I watered them.<br />
He did not.<br />
(Or, if he did, he did not inform me).<br />
<br />
The flowers<br />
needed water<br />
regularly.<br />
<br />
The flowers<br />
kept shriveling.<br />
I watered them<br />
every<br />
other<br />
day<br />
in order to<br />
survive.<br />
<br />
I worried<br />
that if I forgot<br />
to water them,<br />
the flowers<br />
would die.<br />
<br />
Did I forget?<br />
<br />
I hoped<br />
the flowers<br />
were not<br />
a metaphor.<br />
<br />
They were.<br />
<br />
I threw <br />
the flowers<br />
away.Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-45067924424345247262016-06-25T21:45:00.000-04:002016-06-25T21:45:39.014-04:00Summer "Reading"I have a confession to make: I am reading a beach book.<br />
<br />
Well, technically, I'm not actually reading it -- it's an audio book.<br />
<br />
The book is <i>One True Loves, </i>by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It falls into the categories of: beach-read, chick-lit, fluff, light reading. It is easy to get through, and so addicting. I am thoroughly enjoying it.<br />
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<br />
The plot: newly married Emma loses her husband in a plane crash. Her life crumbles around her, yet over time, the pain lessens and she begins to rebuild her life. She lets herself find happiness, getting engaged to a man she used to know in high school. Then her disappeared husband is found--alive-- and she doesn't know whom to choose. <br />
<br />
Of course, the plot is highly unrealistic. I Googled stories of men who have been thought dead and then found years later, but they were hermits or psychopaths, not happily married men with devastated wives. I also researched the author's other books, and there seems to be a trend of husbands dying early and other dramatic marriage situations. This is her genre.<br />
<br />
The writing style is not high nor is it literary. Reid uses mostly simple words and sentimental, theatrical declarations over and over again: "No one loves me the way he loves me"; "I love you": "You mean so much to me"; "I don't deserve you"; "Everything has changed"; "I could never forget you." Sometimes I just want to yell at the protagonist, "You already thought that 17 times! Get some closure already!" In real life, people don't talk like that, nor do they think like that. In real life, people can go to therapy instead of hashing things out again and again in their own heads (but I guess therapy doesn't make for a dramatic book). The language is often syrupy, and at those times I hope I can swallow it quickly.<br />
<br />
So why is this book so enjoyable? For me, it is because of the thought-provoking dilemma that the main character faces and the emotional turmoil so well-depicted by the author. Emma was madly in love with her first husband. He died. She moved on. Now, she is madly in love with her fiance, and her other love has come back. It's kind of an impossible choice. What would <i>you</i> do?<br />
<br />
The author does a wonderful job of illustrating the loyalty and the love that Emma feels for both men. This is one of the truths that comes out in the book: a human being is capable of loving two people--perhaps even at the same time. Our hearts can break, mend, stretch, grow and expand. Emma has a lot of love in her heart. Her two relationships are different, of course, and that's what makes her choice so hard: can she rewind and be the Emma of three years ago, or will she choose the man who was with her as she moved forward and on, and became the person she is now? Her decision, however, will not be as easy as "Whom do I love?" for she loves both.<br />
<br />
It is a heart-wrenching decision: she will hurt someone very badly. I have a theory, however, as to how the story will end: she will choose her current fiance. The author has given clues that the back-from-the-dead husband will not be the one; he's comparatively immature, doesn't want to settle down, and doesn't align with Emma's values the way he once did. In three years, Emma has grown up and he hasn't. Therefore, she will accept herself as she is now and stay with her current guy.<br />
<br />
My other theory is that she will pick neither. Or the book will end before she picks one. Because that's what would happen if <i>I </i>were writing the book. Cliffhanger! Or a feminist twist: Women don't need men to be happy! Emma will be fine on her own!<br />
<br />
But alas, this is not Reid's style. Emma will most likely end up with a guy. And I will be sincerely disappointed if I'm wrong about which one.<br />
<br />
Clearly, I am very involved in the protagonist's decision. And it is quite an emotional one. Which leads me to another reason I am enjoying this book so much: the EPREB (Emotional Person Reads Emotional Books) Theory. The theory is this: I am an emotional person. Therefore, I tend to read <i>and enjoy</i> books that evoke deep emotion. Me and those books, we work well together. We get each other. We want to be together forever. Whether the emotions in the book are joyful, bittersweet, reverent or just plain sad, I will read and I will feel. Emotions fill me with meaning. Emotions are also a mode of connection, even with fictional characters. I can see myself in the book.<br />
<br />
Of course, I cannot see myself in Emma's particular situation; it's moments and themes that resonate with me:<br />
When Emma drives home in the middle of the night and finds comfort in the arms of her parents;<br />
When touch is described as a mode of listening, a way to truly connect and be with another person;<br />
The idea of always having a place in your heart for your first love;<br />
The simultaneous certainty and unreliability of memory;<br />
Each person's unique path toward healing;<br />
The tendency to blame ourselves for events outside of our control;<br />
The confusion that most of us inevitably face at some point in our lives.<br />
<br />
I will no doubt finish the book in a few days, and, despite it's low literary quality, I can confidently and theatrically declare: I will never forget this book!<br />
<br />Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-65144919024339881062016-04-12T21:59:00.001-04:002016-04-12T21:59:26.448-04:00The Path is ForwardHello there, blog. It's been a while. But there exists good reason for the delay.<br />
<br />
Blogging takes creativity, and over the past months, I have been using my creative energy in other ways--namely, teaching. I create lesson plans, worksheets, writing assignments and rubrics. I constantly brainstorm about changing my methods and trying to better reach my students. In the classroom, adjusting my plans and responding to off-the-wall student comments keeps my creative juices constantly flowing. And I also do a good deal of writing for my Brandeis courses: reflections on teaching, certification documentation, research updates. And, recently, job applications. So when I plop down in front of the blog screen, just the thought of churning out <i>another</i> piece of writing is mentally exhausting. So I don't. Besides, shouldn't I be putting my energy into another cover letter? And as a person with perfectionist tendencies, when I write something, I want to write it well, so I can't just sit down, clack at the keyboard, then hit "publish." Maybe I should get better at that. (Ho, the vicious perfectionist cycle!)<br />
<br />
In any case.... I am almost done with the major portion of my student teaching, and when I think about leaving Maimonides, I often come close to those things called tears. Unlike last year, I can't say goodbye knowing I'll be back in a different role next year. I'm saying goodbye for a while.<br />
<br />
I cannot fully express how much I have learned from my time at Maimonides. I have truly felt like "a teacher." Each day is full of high points and low points. The highs: the Israeli ELL who spoke for the first time in my classroom after countless tutoring sessions with me; a student-led discussion full of listening and turn-taking after much, <i>much, </i>work; student presentations of invisibility projects in which they revealed hidden talents--botany, improv, magic tricks, drumming, trip-planning. The lows: a student accidentally dropping the n-word because I had forgotten to tell them not to use it; that day when, no matter how many times I conducted our "getting quiet" routine, the kids would just <i>not</i> get quiet; scrambling to come up with lesson plans for a book I had no desire to teach. The upshot of that last one was that I prefaced a class period by saying, "This is going to be a college philosophy course today, so you better be good," writing "Why do bad things happen to good people?" on the board, and diving in. That discussion lasted the entire 40 minutes. And they listened. To each other. It was supreme.<br />
<br />
Most of all, though, I recognize that there is so much in my practice I have yet to develop. How do I engage the student with serious ADHD? How do I teach students to analyze quotations in their essays? How do I teach a topic I am not thrilled about? How do I connect with students I don't adore? How do I keep students accountable for their class participation and behavior? How can I make my classroom a safe place within the crowded hallways of clique-y, anxious teens? How do I explain complex ideas to developing brains?<br />
<br />
Empathy is key. Reflection is necessary. The path is forward.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.mftrou.com/image-files/learning-matrix.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right now, I'm mostly in Box 2 with a little bit of 3. I am conscious of the fact that there is so much to learn!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-46199263664374120542015-12-29T11:26:00.003-04:002015-12-29T11:29:23.390-04:00Happy (old and new) Year!I am half-finished with graduate school.<br />
<br />
This semester, I have learned about teaching reading, writing, and grammar. I have learned <br />
techniques to facilitate effictive group-work. I have learned about differentiation, scaffolding, lesson-planning, unit-planning, classroom management, and assessment. I have learned what it is like to feel totally overwhelmed by everything I do not know about the field I am entering. I have begun to carve out my role as 'student teacher,' and when I told one 7th grade class that I am going to be their main teacher for a few months, responses ranged from cheering to "Did something happen to our regular teacher??" I have become a meticulous observer of other teachers and myself, and yet I still kick myself for everything my students do (during class) that I don't see. I recently videotaped myself teaching, and I consistently meet with my mentors to discuss how I can do better. Starting on January 19th, I will be taking over two classes: one 7th grade section and one 8th grade section. I am in the throes of unit-planning, and have begun spending more and more time at Maimonides. Vacation has come at the perfect time: my brain needs a rest.<br />
<br />
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<br />
In my non-pedagogy-related courses this fall, I read about 20 novels and countless articles. I wrote analytical papers and participated in discussions with students who consistently used academic words that I did not know. I learned about digital identities, post-humanism, intersectionality, Edward Snowden, and the new aesthetic. I gauged my personal limits when watching disturbing media and discussing racialized sexuality. I even gave a presentation on queer Indian identity in Sherman Alexie's work. I think my mind expanded exponentially every two-and-a-half days.<br />
<br />
Over the past few months, I have done much writing and creating--but little of it has been for the blog. Here are a few samples, in case you're interested:<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-cs85tMmrPf3IvHEcphybnB5DK3b77hjzpMLTHok-2SksOD4PNN2eddrKMziJqC0ebRQhtyrVzYOcxyrZs8oIH_SaApKkMVOhLjgT6TZeg8-9KS1W8IS2efGmpZ8OFQ5o1lCbVDhD19R/s1600/Oscar+p1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG-cs85tMmrPf3IvHEcphybnB5DK3b77hjzpMLTHok-2SksOD4PNN2eddrKMziJqC0ebRQhtyrVzYOcxyrZs8oIH_SaApKkMVOhLjgT6TZeg8-9KS1W8IS2efGmpZ8OFQ5o1lCbVDhD19R/s640/Oscar+p1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The introduction to a paper for my Digital Media and Culture class. Book recommendation: Read <i>Oscar Wao.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xbO59-P4DXoE1Qiv2FLd-kqasJh81V00SGdFglmKYkycpnHULsj-jJjS16eTZPSnvC3VSGu8Q2-wGfarjvhCZSQvjjx2Qwk16XScYF8KLD6dzw9Fw4KUpLSKUN8U34Jf0lM3eKMxn2sC/s1600/Precious+p1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xbO59-P4DXoE1Qiv2FLd-kqasJh81V00SGdFglmKYkycpnHULsj-jJjS16eTZPSnvC3VSGu8Q2-wGfarjvhCZSQvjjx2Qwk16XScYF8KLD6dzw9Fw4KUpLSKUN8U34Jf0lM3eKMxn2sC/s640/Precious+p1.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The introduction to a paper for my Sex & Race in the American Novel class. Book un-recommendation: Don't read <i>Push</i> unless you want to be seriously disturbed.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;">
Preliminary Unit Plan Calendar for <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i></div>
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(feel free to skim!)</div>
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<br /></div>
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Monday (1:15-1:55)</div>
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Tuesday (10:45-11:25)</div>
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Thursday (11:30 12:10)</div>
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Friday</div>
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Jan 18</div>
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MLK day</div>
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Introduction: Identity</div>
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Personal identity</div>
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Dalton Conley passage/questions (1.6)</div>
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Personal Identity chart (1.1)</div>
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<br /></div>
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HW: Read Ch. 1-4 for Fri</div>
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Rodriguez poem, journal entry </div>
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Identity day #2: Different than you</div>
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Discuss poem (Dominican)</div>
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“I feel most colored when…” (1.7) </div>
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THE NOVEL</div>
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Questions—what is challenging/confusing about this text?</div>
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Identity charts for Scout, Jem, Atticus (small groups)</div>
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<br /></div>
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HW: Ch 5-6</div>
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Pick one question to answer in journal (p.31)</div>
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Jan 25</div>
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ט"ו בשבט<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">)</span>I’ll
collect journals and respond<span dir="RTL"></span><span dir="RTL" lang="HE"><span dir="RTL"></span>(</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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GREAT DEPRESSION<o:p></o:p></div>
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What do you know about it?<o:p></o:p></div>
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What questions do you have?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Photographs</div>
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Interviews</div>
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How does this affect the events of the book?</div>
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HW: Ch 7</div>
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“Moral Growth”</div>
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-define it</div>
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-introduce central question and final essay</div>
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-What factors influence moral growth? In your own life? In the lives
of the characters?</div>
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HW: Read 8-9</div>
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Journal entry on moral growth</div>
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How do children interact with each other in a racist society?</div>
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(Make sure we do “discussing sensitive topics” before this lesson)</div>
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Close-reading: Ch 9 and “The Birthday Party” (p. 240)</div>
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HW: read ch 10</div>
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-Reading quiz (up to Ch 10)</div>
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-Asking questions activity: factual, inferential universal (use
questions on the quiz they just took as examples). </div>
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<br /></div>
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HW: Read Ch 11. Write 6 questions in your journal, 2 of each type</div>
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Feb 1</div>
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-Sharing and critiquing our questions (pairs, then whole-class)</div>
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-Southern Gentleman, Southern Lady & Belle (3.7, 3.8). Where do
we see these social types come up in the novel?</div>
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HW: Journals for the end of Part 1. Which characters have shown moral
growth? Pick one and write 2 paragraphs in which you reference how 2 specific
scenes illustrate this growth. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">ראש חודש אדר א'</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
(hand in journals)<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Reminder to keep filling out
identity chart for the character you want to write about <o:p></o:p></div>
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-<b>Universe of Obligation</b>
(3.1) for Maycomb and for Maimonides school<o:p></o:p></div>
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-definition: who has rights and
are worthy of respect in a society or community? Who are we <i>obligated</i>
to respect? <o:p></o:p></div>
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HW: Ch 12-13<o:p></o:p></div>
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Discussion preparation: </div>
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-Skill #1: asking the 3 types of questions that we learned about </div>
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Which questions would be most helpful for a discussion?</div>
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-Skill #2 Asking effective follow-up questions</div>
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-Brainstorm rules for discussion</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
HW: Prepare 3 questions </div>
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-practice writing follow-up questions so you can ask them tomorrow</div>
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Discussion #1</div>
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-Review rules</div>
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-Discussion ~ 30 min</div>
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- Debrief </div>
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-HW: Self-reflection and reflection on the discussion as a whole</div>
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Read Ch 14-15</div>
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Feb 8</div>
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What are the limitations of Scout’s narration? Whose perspectives do
we miss?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Gallery walk and Venn diagrams: HJ Williams, Roosevelt Williams, Tom
Robinson</div>
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HW: Journal entry: What did you learn about the lives of black people
in the South?</div>
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Code-Switching!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
-video</div>
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-NPR article</div>
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-Calpurnia</div>
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-Prep for trial scene</div>
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HW: Ch 16-19 for Thursday</div>
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THE TRIAL</div>
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-Anticipation guide re: laws (5.1), four corners activity?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
- Ch 16-19</div>
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HW: Finish thru ch 21, write down your reactions in your journal</div>
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THE TRIAL: part 2</div>
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-Reactions to the trial?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
-Read aloud </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
-What are Scout and Jem’s reactions to the trial? How does the trial
influence their moral growth?</div>
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Leave them thinking about moral growth over the vacation. Graphic
organizer due Tuesday after break for essay</div>
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Feb 15</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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Feb 22</div>
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Scottsboro boys day 1</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
-20 min video</div>
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<span dir="RTL" lang="HE">פורים קטן</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Scottsboro boys day 2<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
-revisit anticipation guide<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
-Essay graphic organizers due<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
-HW: Journal Q about Scottsboro
boys<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
-Keep reading<o:p></o:p></div>
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Discussion skill #2: Respectful disagreement</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
-HW: Read texts to supplement discussion tomorrow</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
-write questions for discussion</div>
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-Discussion #2 (25-30 min)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
-Debrief</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
-Talk about essay, make sure everyone has completed the organizer</div>
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<br /></div>
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HW: Self & class evaluation</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Intro paragraph and first body paragraph</div>
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Feb 29</div>
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Writing workshop: Pair students (ahead of time?) and create worksheet
so they can help each other with peer revision</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
HW: Finish book by Friday</div>
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Writing skill: quoting and analyzing appropriate textual evidence</div>
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Journal entry (p.175)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Bystander/upstander discussion</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Chart, definitions</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Who in the novel are bystanders, upstanders, perpetrators, victims?</div>
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BOOK FINISHED</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
What are the connections between the two storylines? (Tom Robinson
trial and Boo Radley) Which is the main storyline? Related Q: who is the main
character or hero?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
HW: complete draft due Monday</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
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March 7</div>
</td>
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Writing workshop with same partners. Option to conference with me</div>
</td>
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Critical responses to TKAM (gallery walk, chalk talk)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
How can you be a <i>critical</i> reader?</div>
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Ideas for last 2 days:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Another discussion</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Movie segments</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Handouts 7.2 & 7.3</div>
</td>
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(End of trimester)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Essays due</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
Final Assessment (Essay):<o:p></o:p></div>
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">What factors
influence our moral growth? What kinds of experiences help us learn how to
judge the difference between right and wrong? Use evidence from </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">To Kill a Mockingbird
<i>and the other resource you have explored while studying the book to support
your thinking.</i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<a 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" 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" /></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4px;">Maimonides school teaches <i>Mockingbird </i>with the "Facing History and Ourselves" curriculum, a curriculum that incorporates lots of outside materials that help students learns about the historical context of the novel and the events within it. My job is to read the entire curriculum and select an appropriate 8-week combination of lessons and activities. If that seems like cheating to you, don't worry--the unit I'm teaching to the 7th graders is entirely my own creation. The book we'll be reading is <i>The Schwa was Here</i>, by Neal Shusterman, and the unit focuses on the theme of invisibility (literal and figurative). </span></span></div>
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One added and amazing highlight: I've been supervising <i>tefillah</i> with the sixth grade girls two mornings a week. This has nothing to do with my classes or my Brandeis requirements; it just has to do with <i>me</i>. The principal asked, and I gladly said yes, as <i>tefillah</i> education is one of the Jewish education topics that fascinates me the most. I love asking and experimenting with the questions: How do you teach spirituality? How do you set a foundation in a child for a love of <i>davening</i> and lifelong connection to Hashem? How do you make prayer meaningful for yourself and for your students? We've learned new tunes (with the guitar, of course!), prayed outside, listened to Israeli music, and had discussions about the why's and the how's of prayer. Sometimes the clock ticks toward first period, but my girls still have their hands up, eager to say why they believe that Hashem does or doesn't listen to their prayers. I am so incredibly inspired by these girls. And I get to keep <i>davening </i>with them for the rest of my time at Maimonides! What a gift. </div>
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In conclusion, *someone* recently introduced me to a music group called "Oh Honey." One of their songs nicely captures my mood as 2015 comes to a close:</div>
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Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-44442545399735352182015-11-20T15:17:00.001-04:002015-11-20T15:18:25.114-04:00Paper Hearts: In Mourning<i>Paper Hearts</i><br />
<br />
This world<br />
is one bier after another<br />
wrapped in striped flags<br />
being carried<br />
for a country<br />
for a people<br />
for a family<br />
for a heart.<br />
<br />
One heart,<br />
five hearts,<br />
one-hundred hearts,<br />
thousands of paper hearts--<br />
ripped.<br />
<br />
The scrap of notebook paper<br />
falls from his hand<br />
as he patters down the hall<br />
after the social worker,<br />
feet turned in,<br />
to hear the ripping sound<br />
that will scar his smooth, round cheeks<br />
and blind his bright, blue eyes<br />
before he is even ten years old.<br />
<br />
This poem is in honor of my little student of last year, my sweet, bright-eyed, determined third-grader, who just lost his older brother in a terrorist attack in Israel. The whole Maimonides community is in mourning, as are the wider circles of the Jewish world. And of course, this is just one death in a recent, horrible spurt of terror.<br />
<br />
This one has touched me because I can try (and horribly fail) to imagine the sweet little face learning of this news. I want to take the boy into my arms and squeeze him and erase for him the pain of his new life. I can imagine his family together. I can imagine their futile attempt to comfort each other--because what can a hug really do to fill the space of a life? And there are more siblings, not just my little student. There are his parents, too. Cousins. Grandparents. Friends. I am just the former teacher of one sibling. Imagine all the lives this has touched. Imagine all the pain.<br />
<br />
It is too much. We have to build a wall; we have to desensitize ourselves. Or else we will crumble. Or else we will ask, <i>How can we live in this world?</i> and find no answer. But we must find an answer. We must live. We must build a wall only strong enough so that we can keep living, but there must be holes in the wall to let the grief seep through. We have to feel it, or else it means nothing. We have to feel it so we can mourn and understand and <i>be part of this people</i> and hold the weeping ones and give them our love and believe in God and pray and believe and believe and believeNaomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-57893455365567722862015-10-18T00:22:00.000-04:002015-10-18T00:25:19.892-04:00I'm in a Textbook! (And Let's get Meta)<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<a href="http://img5.douban.com/lpic/s8390517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" class="mainImage" data-bm="77" src="http://img5.douban.com/lpic/s8390517.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a>So I'm reading this textbook called <i>Understanding Digital Culture</i>, by Vincent Miller, a British guy who writes things like "individualization," "re-centring" and "bricolage." I'm reading Chapter 7, entitled "Digital Identity," and I'm quite enjoying myself because up until now, the chapters took intense mental energy to understand, but this one seems to be giving itself over to understanding with slightly less resistance. In fact, before I know it, I'm underlining and writing notes in the margins (don't worry, I bought the book) and scribbling reminders like: "Share!!" and "Read aloud to roommates!" I mean, it's basically reading like a novel, except for the occasional mention of "poststructural leanings" and "liberation from meat" (still figuring out the relevance of that last one).</div>
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But anyway, then I get to the part about blogs. The part about exploring your identity through creating a self-narrative and building trust and intimacy with your audience by self-disclosing. And I realize that that's what I've been doing since "Judith" began. I mean, you're still here, right? And you've been reading my self-narrative for over three years! And you've been believing it! For all you know, I could be someone totally different who simply presents as a Jewish, literary, female, straight feminist with a mildly inexplicable love for <i>Gilmore Girls. </i>For all you know, I could have been working for the past three-and-a-half years on what Miller calls "the reflexive project of the self" and creating a self that is different from my actual self! (Okay, okay, this is the time for me to admit that most -- or all -- of you readers actually know me in real life. Facade dropped. My reflexive project of the self is actually about my real self. Sigh). <br />
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In any case, here is the amazing passage in which I showed up:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>"...the internet in general and blogging in particular is seen as the ideal environment...for pervasive self-disclosure and relationship building. The desire to tell one's life narrative to the world, to write about one's personal experiences of, for example, emotional pain, or one's opinions on world events through a kind of chronological public diary sits quite easily in a contemporary society in which compulsive intimacy has become a major way to overcome disembededness* and work towards self-realisation. Furthermore, the creation of identity through bricolage*...leads some to suggest that online journals can be seen as 'virtual bedrooms' for youth who use blogs to carve out a personal space and exhibit their identities on the web" (Miller 170).</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>*disembededness: By one definition, the ability to interact with others without face-to-face contact. Social interaction occurring outside of a physically-bound social context.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>*bricolage: Something created through a diverse range of available things (text, pictures, links)</i></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzvoay2v4mkl0vh1lEx926rn7z79y5F6MGn64KGxIH7TYANco-JH0obUKi5FUmDWGzPcr2XLRn1pTsg48Cr9GCoI-jAp3RGwfWN5t-fSXYpd-GRiV0GVq1JBLHnqixs8rWYnDJsEHkVVW/s1600/affiche_Brussel-Berlijn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvzvoay2v4mkl0vh1lEx926rn7z79y5F6MGn64KGxIH7TYANco-JH0obUKi5FUmDWGzPcr2XLRn1pTsg48Cr9GCoI-jAp3RGwfWN5t-fSXYpd-GRiV0GVq1JBLHnqixs8rWYnDJsEHkVVW/s200/affiche_Brussel-Berlijn.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
See it? Do you see it? Do you see him writing about me? "Virtual bedrooms"! As in: IN JUDITH'S ROOM. Since 2012, I have been writing from Judith Shakespeare's virtual bedroom (see <a href="http://injudithsroom.blogspot.com/2012/02/so-who-is-judith.html" target="_blank">Post 1</a>), as well as the biblical Judith's virtual bedroom-tent. This guy gets me. Finally. (Is he single?)<br />
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I think Miller is trying to say that blogs can be private spaces weirdly made public. A bedroom is a very private space, but having a virtual one lets others access the bedroom and the identity of the person inside it. But only the parts of their identity that the person wants to reveal. Walking into a real bedroom, there are fewer virtual walls that block us from seeing a whole person.<br />
<br />
I also want to address what Miller calls "compulsive intimacy." The word "compulsive" has negative connotations (think obsessive compulsive disorder), and the image I get when Miller uses this phrase is of someone blurting out her deepest, darkest thoughts whenever such thoughts occur (or, rather, typing out these thoughts and blasting them to all her "friends"). She wants to be close to everyone -- immediately -- and so she discloses without thinking of the consequences of her disclosure.<br />
<br />
The internet makes this so <i>easy</i>. But what are the effects? Can this really help us overcome spatial separation from our friends and aid us on the path to "self-realization"? <br />
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I'll use myself as a case study. I know that when I publish a post that contains "deep dark thoughts and emotions" (hint: it's usually a poem), I do treasure the caring and thoughtful responses I receive. But rarely do these responses sufficiently fulfill my need to be emotionally supported. To serve this need, I invite a friend over for tea or make a phone date with a friend who I know can help me through. So in essence, what helps me overcome social disembededness is choosing to put myself in close proximity to a face, a body, a voice. The blog helps me gain general support and a slight sense of being less alone, but the real intimacy comes with one-on-one verbal interactions.<br />
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(I would like to hear from the other side, though: the readers. When a blogger discloses something private or personal, do you feel closer to him or her? How does it affect your relationship with the blogger to be the receiver rather than the sharer? I would love to hear your thoughts...although I realize that people rarely respond to these general queries. So please, prove me wrong.)<br />
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<a href="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3f/5f/35/3f5f35984d46d858a26f720c5a31f3b3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3f/5f/35/3f5f35984d46d858a26f720c5a31f3b3.jpg" height="190" width="200" /></a>The other purpose of internet disclosure that Miller mentions is self-realization. What does a blogger learn about himself or herself from the act of disclosing over the internet? Personally, I have learned about writing, overcoming certain vulnerabilities, dealing with unexpected responses, and the tension of fear and release that comes with tapping the orange "Publish" button. I have learned what I consider publish-worthy and what I consider too personal to share (why do you think I haven't posted in two months? It's not because I haven't been writing...) I have learned how I want to present myself on this blog, and what topics I think are worth writing about. I have learned that I have something to say.<br />
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In this digital culture, I am aware of our short attention spans, so you should know that this post is coming to a close. Just hang on for a few more lines. Reading Miller's chapter has helped me think about what I have been doing in Judith's room for the past three-and-a-half years, and has given me this inspiration to blog about blogging (hence the word "meta" in the title). It has given me an opportunity to explore my digital identity, and I hope it has sparked enough curiosity that you might consider exploring yours. <br />
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<br />Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-66432044318231269712015-08-30T22:18:00.000-04:002015-08-30T22:18:37.567-04:00Windswept with AnchorsIt's an <i>under</i>statement to say that I've been a bit <i>over</i>whelmed recently by everything new and changing in my life. And I have to say that when "everything" changes, the things that stay the same become increasingly more obvious and more comforting.<br />
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<i><b>Chapter 1: In which all the New Things happen at once</b></i></div>
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<b>The apartment</b>: I moved! Of course there are the obvious differences: bigger bedroom, new roommates, a parking spot, quarter-operated laundry across the hall, overhead lighting, wall decorations, kitchen systems, one bathroom instead of two. But then there are the smaller things: What noises do I hear when I'm falling asleep at night? During what time of day does the sun come through my windows? Am I still the earliest riser? What sorts of products do you find when you open the refrigerator door? And of course, the water pressure in the shower.<br />
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<b>The neighborhood:</b> Somerville! Not Cambridge. Although if you walk for 5 minutes in the right direction you will instantly appear in Cambridge. Magical. Market Basket is a 12-minute walk, and Star Market is next door for Friday-afternoon emergencies. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the nearest Whole Foods (sorry, Uncle Joshua; it's not my preferred market at this point, due to location and prices). Walk ten minutes north to Porter Square (with the amazing Porter Square Books!) or ten minutes east to Union Square. Or 20 minutes southwest to Harvard Square. (Question: if a town has so many squares, shouldn't the streets also be geometrically logical and easy to navigate? Decisions of the Cambridge/Somerville Public Works Department of the 1800s leave something to be desired.)<br />
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There are many Jews here. Many! In my age bracket. Harvard Hillel and the Tremont Street Shul are the primary places of Jewish worship for these many Jews. The word "community" trumpets itself large and bright. Of course, any community brings anxieties with it (the ex- who lives here, finding 'my people', she's-dating-who?, What am I missing out on tonight? ), but I'm hoping I can make the benefits outweigh the jitter-inducing stuff.<br />
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The truth is that I will be incredibly busy this year, and will probably not have a ton of time to throw myself into the community. Except on Shabbas. Ahhhh, Shabbas! My love and my peace. And hopefully my community will build from there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://swh.schoolworkhelper.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Faulkner-Light-in-August.jpg?c71720" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://swh.schoolworkhelper.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Faulkner-Light-in-August.jpg?c71720" height="200" width="128" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm finally gonna <br />read Faulkner!</td></tr>
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<b>The classes:</b> I have five classes at Brandeis this semester. Fundamentals of Teaching, Pedagogy of English, Digital Media and Culture, Sex and Race in the American Novel, and Moses & Leadership. I am SO EXCITED for every single one. (Nerd alert!!! Nerd alert!!!)<br />
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<b>The internship:</b> In addition to five classes, I will be at Maimonides School two days a week in 7th and 8th grade Language Arts classes. I will be primarily observing for the next few months, and then I will begin (gasp!) teaching. This past week was Faculty Week, so I met all the teachers and principals, learned never to give students Advil, and am <i>still</i> trying to get myself on the faculty email list. I did indeed work at Maimonides last year, but I was in the lower school, which is basically a different universe than the upper school (the upper school has more microwaves). The first day of school for the students is on Wednesday. I'm SO NERVOUS and I already did middle school once. <br />
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<b>The commute: </b>I have a car. It would be impossible without one. It takes about 30 minutes to get from home to Maimonides, and a very different 30 minutes to get from home to Brandeis. Getting from Maimonides to Brandeis (which will happen on Wednesdays) takes about 40 minutes. Realizations: 1. I freakin' hate bikers. (Except when I am one). 2. There are so many No Turn on Red signs. 3. One should only drive through Harvard Square on Saturday nights or after an atom bomb has gone off. 4. I need to find good, educational shiurim and podcasts to make car-time productive. 5. Sometimes you just have to honk.<br />
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<b>The salary:</b> Hahahahahah good one.<br />
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<i><b>Chapter 2: When a Few Things Stay the Same</b></i></div>
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<b>The family:</b> Baruch Hashem, Eli can cook! It's really nice to have my parents only a phone call away and my brothers only a WhatsApp away. I really have no idea what Uri will be doing at any given time, but at least the not-knowing is consistent. My sister-in-law sends adorable updates every week about the new couple's adventures, and I can usually count on Eli to send a funny picture or two of Uri or granola bars or their freshly-laid Shabbas table. I talk to everyone at least once a week, and I can hop in my car and head home for Rosh Hashanah without too much trouble. Yes, one brother recently got married, the other recently became an army chaplain and both live in Israel, but the relationships my family offers me are solid, consistent, and comforting.<br />
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<b>The old friends:</b> You know who you are. You are my Skype dates, my phone calls, my gchats. You don't live near me, but you live near my heart. Let's be friends forever, okay?<br />
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<b>The quiet time:</b> I consistently need and create this time for myself. Call it quiet time, introvert time, re-charging time, personal time, reflection time, but I have always needed it and <i>will never stop needing it</i>. After a long day at Maimonides or Brandeis, after kiddush at shul, after having 50 people in my apartment at one time, I need to go into my room and close the door. To write things down. To breathe. To meditate. To pray. To think. To listen. To process. To relax. I am not being snobby or antisocial, though some may view it as such. I am simply being myself. This is what I need to have the best possible human interactions and do my best work. Over the past week of meeting new people, new people and more new people, my room has been a constant safe place where I can go to reflect on who, why and how I feel about it all. And perhaps lose myself in a movie based on a book. Or an actual book. I find peace here, and reason, and strength to wake up and do it all again.<br />
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<br />Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-48097243402778181362015-07-31T17:57:00.000-04:002015-07-31T17:57:09.355-04:00Pieces<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
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<i>In Judith’s Room (Pieces) <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>-a draft-</i></div>
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Sometimes, Judith does not feel safe<o:p></o:p></div>
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—but not in the ways you might think.<o:p></o:p></div>
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She patters alone under the bug-laden street
lights<o:p></o:p></div>
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catching careless bits of late-night conversation
and <o:p></o:p></div>
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puffs of smoke that always make her want to <o:p></o:p></div>
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walk up to that stranger and say,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>There is nothing good about what you are doing.
Cough cough!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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She snaps on her helmet and pedals down the
forty-mile-an-hour streets,<o:p></o:p></div>
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whipping in and out of green lights.<o:p></o:p></div>
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She is neither plodding walker nor speeding car,<o:p></o:p></div>
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following the rules of neither<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and smugly enjoying this unearned freedom.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
She rides Greyhound buses (and has since she was
fourteen).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
She doesn’t mind flying across the ocean in a
middle seat.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
She will tiptoe through cobbled streets where she
is the Other<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and sidle down passages where rocks are hurled
even by her own.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
But then there are people; then there words. And then
comes fear.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
With words and a small vibration, kindness can
crumble.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Within a cloud, instant hurt flies and hits its
mark.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Behind a thin screen of light, people become
pictures become symbols become targets.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Compassion is blocked; empathy is restricted. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Judith hears and sees the warring words zing back
and forth<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and she ducks and dodges nimbly,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
cradling the treasured ones against her body,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
shielding her eyes from the blazing, towering
destruction all around her.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Once in Judith’s room, she closes the door and
sinks down against it<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
clutching the pieces of peace left in her hands,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
hoping and praying that it is enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
She spreads the pieces out on the floor, moving them
around, trying to solve a puzzle that might be insolvable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
When no more pieces click together, she leans back
against the door<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and feels the quiet; words sizzling to
nothing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
But even in Judith’s room, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
she is not safe<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
from her own thoughts<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and the sleep that will not come. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-41112076809296526892015-07-15T21:43:00.000-04:002015-07-15T21:43:07.629-04:00Wonder, Please. <u>Topic 1:</u><br />
<br />
There are two reasons why people get upset with each other:<br />
<br />
1. Person A misunderstands Person B's words or actions.<br />
2. Person A understands Person B perfectly, and what Person B says or does is hurtful.<br />
<br />
Imagine all the "upset-ness" that could be eliminated (at least half!!) if we could just understand each other. Oof.<br />
<br />
Better communication, please.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://masteringtoday.me/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/misunder2.jpg" /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="317" src="http://www.lovethispic.com/uploaded_images/62164-Misunderstanding-You.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/61/66/76/616676a6d1cfbf6a8427598ee8f1d370.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We should probably also stop texting...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="261" src="http://www.brainlesstales.com/images/2009/Jul/bowling.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="266" src="http://16quotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Holding-Hands.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<br />
<u>Topic 2:</u><br />
<br />
I have been struggling in English class.<br />
<br />
I like what we are reading. I like the other students. I understand the English language.<br />
<br />
But the teacher is an over-reader.<br />
<br />
For example, on the first day of class, we discussed a story that may or may not have been true or made up and was possibly (or not) told by or about Ernest Hemingway in the 1930s or the 1990s. The story goes like this: "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn."<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://litreactor.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/header/images/news/201301/headers/baby-shoes-never-worn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://litreactor.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/header/images/news/201301/headers/baby-shoes-never-worn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Now, of course we asked <u>all</u> the questions. I LOVE all the questions. Whose baby? Whose shoes? Why never worn? Is there a dead baby? Who put the add in the newspaper, a mother or a father? Someone else? Why didn't they just give away the shoes? Are they really expecting to make money here?<br />
<br />
And of course we came up with possible answers. Yes, the baby died. At birth. Or maybe a few weeks later, before it fit into the shoes. Of course the father put the add in the paper; it's a masculine thing to do. Or maybe it was the mother, as a way of getting closure for her loss. Or maybe there was no dead baby. Maybe someone received baby shoes as a gift without a receipt and wanted to sell them because the baby's feet were already too big.<br />
<br />
But then, we decided on THE ANSWERS. And this is what bothers me so much. The teacher decided that we really should believe a baby died. And that the father placed the add. And that selling the shoes would sever any relationship the parents had with the shoes. That's the best story to be found within these six words. And that is it. And the teacher had everyone convinced -- but me.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/cnqaJtW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.imgur.com/cnqaJtW.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's always another interpretation!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The author wrote the story wanting the reader to ask questions. Perhaps the author wrote the story even wanting the reader to come up with answers. But I am pretty sure the author did not want the reader to come up with a definitive answer. The author wrote one story, and the reader wrote another with the same words! And the reader thinks that his story is right! How is that allowed?! In addition, a definitive story is no fun. The reason why stories like this are so cool is because of the ambiguity. Who wants to "solve" a story, anyway?<br />
<br />
So I'm super frustrated by this approach. Obviously. But I think I might have figured out why: it's because I study Torah.<br />
<br />
Ever since I started to read Tanach in the original Hebrew with a dictionary by my side and a growing list of questions in my notebook, I have come to treasure the text itself and to separate it from the rabbinic commentary. Commentary is important; commentary is vital to our tradition; commentary enhances our thought process and our understanding. But commentary is <i>not</i> the text. Rashi is not "the right answer." It has always bothered me when someone finds <i>an</i> interpretation to be <i>the right</i> interpretation. Sometimes the Torah is mysterious, and that's what makes it Divine and beautiful. Sometimes we are left with questions, and they burn and they burn and ignite our learning further.<br />
<br />
My approach to Torah is clearly influencing my approach to English literature. Although one author is Divine and the others are not, I still think that if an author wrote something puzzling, we are supposed to wonder about it and come up with possible answers, but not "solve" it. The "best" story is the one with mystery. I want to keep wondering <i>why</i> there are two Creation stories. I want to continuously question what exists behind Dickinson's dashes, not presume that I <i>know</i>. It is for the author to know, and the reader to wonder.<br />
<br />
So, wonder.<br />
<br />
Wonder. Please.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="290" src="http://www.hebrewworld.com/graphics3/tstyle2.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The truth is here. Everything else is ours to wonder about.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-29056534480171122632015-07-08T07:48:00.001-04:002015-07-08T07:48:25.039-04:00Everything I Need<div style="text-align: right;">
ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם שעשה לי כל צרכי</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"Blessed is Hashem...who provided me with all my needs"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If I could choose only one blessing to say this morning, it would be this one.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This blessing includes the most important aspect of a Jewish life: gratefulness to Hashem. This blessing is also a reminder to make a distinction between needs and other things we desire. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What do I need? Food. Water. Sleep. Air. Shelter. On a basic level, that is what everyone needs. These needs are a reminder that we are all the same.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What do I desire? In other words, what are my spiritual and emotional needs? What do I need to feel fulfilled? Meaningful connection with others; love from my family and best friends; books; time; Torah; creative outlets; intellect; conversation; goals; means to achieve those goals; mentors; mountains and waterfalls; art and beauty. Not everyone desires or needs these things. These needs are a reminder that each human is unique.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
God knows our commonalities and our individualities. God helps us find what we need on both levels. However, we do not have everything that we need at all times. I must recognize what I <u>do</u> have <i>at this moment</i> and I must appreciate it. I can yearn for what I still lack, acknowledging that acquiring these entities is not completely in my power. Therefore, I must bless Hashem for always showing me what I have, what I want, what I need, and for making me seek and find and grasp and let go and appreciate. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Right now, I have everything I need to live my next moment. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="239" src="https://rivkyp.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/check-yoour-pulse.jpg" width="320" /></div>
Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-80327025159898000962015-06-10T06:43:00.002-04:002015-06-10T06:43:45.751-04:00PartlyI have recently been doing a lot of inner work -- work to help me feel, understand, and engage with my emotions. I am someone who feels very intensely; an emotion can take over my mental and physical being for hours at a time. Therefore, it is helpful for me to see each emotion as <i>part of me </i>rather than something that defines me. When I feel sad or frustrated, it is important to note that these emotions are <i>parts</i> of myself, not my whole self. When sadness arises, I try to alter my narrative: instead of thinking "I am sad," I think, "A part of me feels sad right now." It's amazing how much effect this little change can have.<br />
<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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" 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" 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So then what do I do with the part of me that feels sad? I explore it; I engage with it. I ask it questions. <i>Why are you here? What do you want from me? What are you trying to do for me? What do you want to tell me? </i>Sitting in the emotion and gaining an understanding of it and a compassion for it helps it eventually fade. In addition, this process better prepares me to deal with it the next time it arises. It helps me realize that there are many parts that visit me, but that my core self is one that is good, kind and peaceful. It is this self that I would like to let lead me through life.</div>
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While thinking of myself as made up of many parts, I have realized that the metaphor applies to other aspects of life. For example, it is not always helpful to say, "I had a good day" or "I had a bad day." It is probably more accurate that parts of your day were good (or even great) and other parts of your day were unpleasant, frustrating, or simply average. You most likely enjoy certain aspects of your job or your studies, but dislike others. You might find some of your relationships very satisfying and meaningful, and some of your relationships imbalanced, but neither one is an indication of your entire social life.</div>
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" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for parts of the heart art" border="0" 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l1A2lCU1IoMG4CwgCVixJ8B1q1BOdz9f4/f0Dk60dH5a42nELVblF0KzSJpJyRodlGceJAB+arOJTOkhDbqxCoFG+f7Q64Pgw2HQ+Z5n9mfOv3AOk6k20zqI1XDSrIR3mWPqVxjPrjxzXSJebuGSDK3UIP7rSBHHoUbBBqp4XCbpaBPRSc0WSyRNkZ09748f0rkF5CbabGTobdMDoQa7Xx4/spCP3TiuUc02+YyQcMhDj58K6vCS3TFJaB3kYKhhncAqB0333/h8Vrt+m+fOtjs2zAmS3QglcEnvHpVHfL0+a6serRLKiRaXYU5KtKuK6oshg6lSpViJUqVKALeM7D2oqmlozsKKprlkixhTRFNLqaIprNoYwDRFNAU0RTWbQwymugfZ1OHhaI/VC5x/cfvL+uofFc9U1a8vcXa0m7QfS69k4+cqfg5/Os5R5JoZ0aPVHczxdSyi6hz4hhoZfh0/1irbg8hlIfTmN1Dqdxp2+k79c/lg+mdD4lzaGeGcDv27HOOrxPtIn6Bh6qK3jgdwquNB1W91+3gbwDsNTx/O7j/EPCuHxkJrHZpiaujbbWMD/uabBpa3NMqua8GHOcqTLnpmHb97SMlvQE4/vHoPmi314sKGRgSBucDJwNyfYDJJ9K5Lzv8AajJFP934dp7OBx2smx7Rgw1RrkbL1Bbqd/npvB+K23EIFlibIYAldtaEjBVh8keRr6Tw/hXhW3dnO3YDmbl624nAY5BpkXJhlAHaQyDoyn3xkdDWg8Y4bYRxmG6BkuIbZC8gwrCRz3GIU4LYTGRt7ZrpNzc29hb6nYrHGu2olnYhdlA3LtgdBvtXJubQ0PE3kdgsd1argsxQbAAK5IPZ5IO7Dx960zbaV+7HEB9nOpOI27ZyC0kJ8CVaJzuPPKD8q7TfXaR6Q4La2CbLnGo6RnPQEkD5rnXKnC4/vtoVxqSOW5IA27Mr2aknpuz7ex8q6HxK1jlAV20E4IIYBu6yttnyIU1tjaomRzD7XeR7d4RfW37JlwrhMKh1kBXwBsc7H+9nrWscgc68St40tUaKRA3ZIlwdOjfAVZAc49D8V0/nK/spITw8XCROw1E/WqLF38O2didPnmtGj5eueHs9w2jskAaSSOYY1JOpxgAvnBP0gHbGfAxPPx8n2KUbHuP81XLSPZ8Rihki7oljgLrpbAYMrse8RnoQAcVd/Znwe2BkuYGZ4U/Yw610kHAaQso2yNSrkbbNiqrmnl3tJZL15ViglQSoGDCR3EOrQEYAg4Q9d+u1KfZXzKlp2ltdsESd+2ic50B2ADIx/DsFxnbY1z4pfE2+xvS0dNH3W4fWFBlj1QrIU0uMgFlViM4IIPqCD0rjPNHK1xwi8bidoymONtRjzjGv6lYeMTDPtn0rtFrYRiTtkcspUKACpQ4BCsSOpCsRnPTrnAxRc7cCvrgB7OSIMu7RSx5WTAI0l/AHJ8OoG9Vy4z8tb079hL5nG/tDiNvcw8QtCRFeKt3ExDHDkBj32Y6judhgAYFHs0iuR94fTJcSOrvIBuXZgPgb9Kt+dzDHZ2kN9D2FwFkAjjaMmPvtpXfvNHg+Bx09K13lDgsgu4cMBGXErIDk6I+/k+W4UfNb4ZXit6atX7pfMT7Om8enGiRR1Vdx6GuX8al0xMXB72AQMZGTk49hW+c28SRIXZiVGtIyfVmGK0m6gEuNecKQ22wYdcH+fvUYfL5n0N70A7qRDQGiUjUAvVAxLAHfyIzVFeDp81dXr6ztgjqGBzt47VUXY39tq6oPV+5LKuVaTkFWEy0nKK6IMliprysmFY1uSSpUqUAPodqKrUsjURTWDRQypoitS6tRFas2hjKmiKaWVqKrVDQxhTRcZGKXVqKhrNooykHrg+Oeh9Qeg9jW28g8wpGfuVw37CRgYZM/9GXI0jPgCdwfA+hrVkaiMAwIPQjFKclKPGSElXR3eTijxBVkZUkUgHLIglBIAZNZAwRnIG4Ix5E4faVxuWz4bJJFkSyYiDgZEYchWkPsDt6kVq32c8xXxh7JoJL5ISEV43iEqeSyCRlBGOjZzisOI81NPekSL2MSK8EsM2kqyZAZXAO5Zj+HONIO4zXmR8MsWTkktFuXI5paQiAa8brggevgP9/w2OcV1J2glVmR3c6mRjH13KgrjAyfbat+41y/Z3SmOzdIpw4/YzSYMcarukRP1gtvnO3Ss+B8hXLwywkdhNFcqRK4JV4uyIJj27w1EflXf/l42uUtfUni0D4HwoXMMjSO8kykr35GdgpAyoLE4zt08QPOgc1yRT2WCyJc2J7F1Oka4dS76QSdKll3brlqs7m2PBi8pkikVotKK7GOR5DnuxQjUxPX8zjrVvyty0v7O+vogryFGji0nUjnOTKdWGGwIUjOfyrmg5Tnyvy+jKdJFh9m/L80NoZJnkE1zh1DnLRR4GlcAjGcZIGDuB1FarzfK15ffenQz2HDytuSoRi7kZkbB2A1aQfDuit95r5rtLNhBOzoZU1FkRiFBdYwCwHdJLHH90+la1yI1lDcXcVrMktrOou40A/6XZs0Mq7nvAlAQdtvzOmfNJRfFfntfuTFFYZeB3DHtEls2DgyakOhQqaSrFMiJc4JJxuOtK8d5altYVljkMsbqqsyO2li7FzoUEgglVJO30A+JrebcxXMizW8AVtJAuHj04WQJIdK9ST2jA5weuM1r11DccGkLqTNYSnEiEgY1YGR0757x2Hhv5jgjk3S79myym4JNFeWw4fMRG6EvaPjChsfQVVdwe+xdj40G94MtnaSfeo1a4uH7KBSQwVEwWlUjrnYD4onNPL8aKt1a5e0mGsYVisa7DDOxJySTt4UGw5suEXs5QtzF4pKob8S5wT/AGVKjwGqr29x+wyq4FKlu+oPNbgI2DbOFJc/SWVsofkGt44Nz7PD2aXw7eORVYXMSEFSV1FZIxsSM7lfInFUi8w2Q3+4xavbIz387E4/8v8A1elIcb5pnmXSSsMI2WNBgb6cAADrqBxgZ72N61U5ydNfnyFSOlc3cIteJW3ZyYYMNcEo+qNiO7Ih/l41pXJ/LhsY2eXH3iTusc6sIp2GfXr+VWfKNvPbWWmXKFnMiRtkmKNiAARnbxbHhnFYJfl075BZchyNhqVip+O7n2IrSPKMXBPROuyh5yZHVVc4VD2zeyA/IG56Vql3elm0oSCQro4AZSp8PTag8auZry5LplY1DRRn99OhyPI7n5HlR7OwEYwB6n+ddkcSily+xPL2BSDSM+P86qZRVpeMCcDoP19ar5RRztjor5RSMoqxmFJTCumDIYi4odGkFCrpRB5UqVKYB1NEVqADWQNQ0MZVqIrUsrURWqGhjStRFalVaiq1ZtDGlajI1Jq1GRqyaGOIaMhpRGo6NWTRRe8t8ensJhPAc/hkQk6JE/dbyPkfD8wenmDhfHkDxt2F2oBYbCZeuzL0Zc/iH51xlWo0UhUhlJVl3VlYqynzVhuD7Vk0n2M3fifIPEoyBoW6VejowDHUdTE5w2fqGTnrSUXL18o0i2vVzkKBPIqDLgoPDYLlT+e1Z8N+0PikIA7RJwP/AD49R/zKVP55qytvtQuxNrnhjkhIACRZWRMDcqXOGz5HHvUtOtMNm38o8nQ2iiadUa4AyWPeKgEsuuRvqdc41be3jW2CUMpKEHwG/jVHwnj9lxOJlhdXOB2kTgB1Gc4kiO+k4wfA771YcMsniLanLKcBFLFtCjO2sjLDfbOSPM+HO5PfLsQVoUcDUobo3eAO6nUD7gjNa8/A7ZLyO9iZYVtYpbaZFQBXDaSAx8NJ3+QKz4jxa/WaSK3sWlCnuyyXMcUbZGcqBlsZOOnhWqz8zkPJY34j4RcrIlzbSK2q3lIdZCzO2Acsu+cZydwa48WDIpNJ/wApun2676KbOkwuCBjpgEY6Y8CPSsL61WaNo3GVdSp3I2IwdxuPiqjh1o727J2wV5k1CS2GmNA/RoAzOFB3PUjJJxSq8j2xOZpru5P/AK15KV/yKQv6VzyjjjJ1J/LX/Bqyu4XwB47e5tJngkTJntx3pChwQzdkDqwMjAydz61pn/K96QWWF2XwOMZHgcH0INbdwIRRcUuIImGiKA4QNtEoYAgsD3clhse8MeWK2Plm2V1Fy4zJ34oyWLkIjsAdR6k+fXAHrXZFyi3+z+4Wc84JyNfXGHlUWkR3zJvKR6Rr0/xEe1blZcu2dpho0DSjbtH7zf4fBfir2biCN9JyNwDg6SR1Abocb9Kor2U6tWo4xjT4e/8Avzrbk5P2AXubpjnUMYO243Hn/vyrUOL34kBjT6T9RHQ+YHp60HmDjZlla3iPcTaZ/M+KA+Q8fyqre4wMLv6np8CuqMFBXIjsx7NUHgF/D/QedJ3E2dhsP1Pv/Ss5CTudzQXFEsrl0Uo0KyClJRTsgpWUVcGJlfMKRmFWMwpGYV142QyvlFANMyilmrriQzypUqVQj3NZA1hXtABAaIGoANZA1LQxlWoitSqtRFaoaGNq1GRqSVqMjVlKIx5GoyNSSNR0aspRKQ6jUZWpNGo6NWMkUNKaKppZWoqmsmhjEbFWWRGaORN0kRirr7MP4dK6Hyr9pLriLiAyo2Fyi7AbDM6D6ev1DbfcCucqaIpqHTVSCj6NjkSVQykOrDUrKQQQehVhVZx7gdtdxmO5ijmXBCM6BihIxkE7qfUVyHlzma4sTmI64iS0kDN3WJO5i2xE3Xb6T44611rgfMcF3H2kLZwdLqRh428VdfA/ofCuTLga80fv6oCk+ye6ZuGxwyf9W0eS0f8A9pyF/wBJUfFbNxPiCQJqcgFiEQEqNTt9KjUQM7Hx8KUFpHD20lqiJLP33H0o0gGA5HQN0ztvge9U62gmfXLqnljOklw0cQOATpQ/UudwCTiuPLh55nP0bv8AP3KXRrnPXEIbSNZVGqS90CUlmTXEhLMM6tQU5xsfKrP7NuaIJ7d4I2w0MkhRC2W7J21Lgnc41FSfQedI848svfjVMdDpgpolaVARkf8ATZQV6+Gfprk/HLie2mVcG3nhz342wGB6MpHht+tet4fFHJj4P9X9e31Jk62d1mt0V9a4XG+FBXUcEDtMHD4zsSM+tUfMXEmSMiMjtG2U/u+bkenh5mtG4HzTxKZcySAxrtqMa62PkDjHzirGaVtGpyWeUg5PXSPjx+KJw+G6btgtlfFGEGlenUk7lj5sfE16ayNYms3JydsqqBtQmozUJqpALyUpKKbkpaWtoksRmFIzCn5qRmrrgQxCWlXpuWlHrsgZsxqVKlWIlSpUoAleg15UoAzBrMNQq9BpUAdWoyNSgNEVqhoY6j0dHpFGo6PWUolIeR6OjUij0ZHrGUSrH0ejK1Io9HR6wlEqx1WoimlVaiq1ZNDGVNHsrqWCQT27dnKNicZV1/ckX8S/w8KUVqIDU7QzqHLvNaXakY7KdB+1iJzj+0h/Ep8/zq0lvNq42EfWskRKyocoVxq9h5+3j0rceC8xC4XS2FmUZYDow/fT08x4UniT3ERdw8SfUUc6m3OQBpx/+WGwKnr1HjjSuebJZmzgM0ZVhvjuvkMvTzXPzWyzXe25wBufQeda5xC41ZbcGTGAeuhdgfnrRfB8kCVldw6JIge7nJ1Bfwj0HpsPzo0shY6juf8Ae1Dr2ok3J2WSvDUrEmpAxahNRGNCc1aEBelZaZc0rKa3iSxSakZqdmNIzV1QIYlLSj01LSr12QM2Y1KlSrESpUqUASpUqUASpUqUAe1kGrCvaADK1GR6UBoitUOI7HUejo9IK9GR6ylEqywR6Oj1Xo9HSSsZRHZYI9HV6r0ko6SVjKJVjytRVakkejK9ZOJQ2GryUEuJFOiQHIYeY8T5/wA6Cr0QPUK4vQFo/FJHA1ADYZA6FvP28h/Gl2kJOTuT1pYNWQaolbGg+amaFqr3VU0MITWJNYaqxLU6A9Y0JzXrNQnaqSEzBzSspoztSsrVvFEsXmNJTGmZWpOY11QRDFZTSzUaQ0A11xIZ5UqVKoRKlSpQBKlSpQBKlSpQBKlSpQBKzFSpSYBFoy1KlQxhko6VKlYyKQZKOlSpWMikHWjJUqVjIoKtEWpUrNjM1rMVKlQxmVe1KlSM8rE17UpiBtQnqVKtCAPSslSpW0SWJy0nNUqV1QIYpJQTUqV1RIPKlSpTA//Z" /></a>So can't we just weigh the good parts against the bad parts and say "Overall, <i>X</i> was good" or "Overall, X was bad"? Nope, nope nope. These types of statements create generalizations, and generalizations are easier for people to understand, but they don't help them understand <i>you</i>. People want to categorize and dismiss, but I want people to question and engage. Don't let yourself, your work, your family, or anything else in your life be put in a box and kicked away. Don't summarize because it's easier. Specify because it holds more meaning. </div>
<br />
This act of dividing, specifying, thinking in parts allows me to reflect on these past 9 months. I can't say it was "a great year" and I can't say "it was a bad year." Instead, I will say this:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Having a job and supporting myself was <i><span style="color: blue;">empowering.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Talking with third graders was <span style="color: magenta;"><i>inspiring</i>, </span><i><span style="color: magenta;">worthwhile, and meaningful.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Interacting with kids every day made me feel <span style="color: purple;"><i>purposeful</i>.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Holding responsibility is sometimes <i><span style="color: #274e13;">stressful.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Living in a new city can be <i><span style="color: #666666;">lonely.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Finding and creating community is <i><span style="color: #783f04;">hard work</span>.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Getting broken up with is <i><span style="color: #bf9000;">hurtful.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Community drama is <i><span style="color: #b45f06;">sickening.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Being able to go home for a holiday makes me <i><span style="color: #a64d79;">grateful.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Having parents and long-distance friends who support me <span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>fills me with love</i>.</span> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Realizing my career goals is <i><span style="color: #741b47;">exciting and fulfilling.</span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Enduring tough situations makes me feel <i><b><span style="color: purple;">brave and strong.</span></b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So my year was all these things, and even more. So was yours. May it continue to be this way.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/b8/2e/56/b82e56315362e6d5c6bf8859b0b55cb7.jpg" /></div>
</div>
Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-3785599015071863662015-05-29T15:45:00.000-04:002015-05-29T15:45:13.511-04:00More Learning Time!I don't imagine I will be posting many more of these, because in 19 days I will give up my role of teacher and once again become a student. In the meantime, my kids are getting better at being their essential selves, thereby becoming rowdier <i>and </i>cuter. Their individual personalities shine and I've fallen in love with so goshdarn many of them. I'm not going to cry on the last day... am I? Am I???<br />
<br />
Until then, here are a few laughs:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://files.ctctcdn.com/00be0dbb001/8795e8f4-5944-450c-aeb2-f41fb0089441.jpg?a=1121152807219" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://files.ctctcdn.com/00be0dbb001/8795e8f4-5944-450c-aeb2-f41fb0089441.jpg?a=1121152807219" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids show their parents' their creations</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Leading up to Yom Ha'atzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim, the kids learned all about Israel. They were divided into groups, and each group chose a city to research and build -- out of Lego. Getting all of them signed in to their Google accounts took most of the research time, but the end result was some cute posters with short Hebrew paragraphs and color pictures painstakingly printed out by the school secretary. And, of course, a ten-foot map of Israel crammed with Lego buildings and Lego people (most of them holding guns. Oy).</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>When I was aiding the Tiberias group in cutting out their pictures, the students were really excited about Rambam's grave. I thought I would impress them by telling them that I had actually been there.</i><br />
<i>The response:</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Israel_-_Tiberias_-_Maimonide_grave_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Israel_-_Tiberias_-_Maimonide_grave_001.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<i>"You were at Rambam's funeral?!" </i><br />
<i>"I knew you were old!"</i><br />
<i>Oh dear. I felt the need to clarify.</i><br />
<i>"No, guys, I just visited his grave -- a long time after he died. I didn't go to his funeral."</i><br />
<i>Pause.</i><br />
<i>"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense."</i><br />
<i>"Yeah, I guess you weren't alive at the same time as him..."</i><br />
<i>"But if you were, you would totally have been his girlfriend."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>(!!!)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> I can't think of a higher honor.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>* * *</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Learning the story of Ruth in honor of Shavuot brought about much hilarity. We discussed the esoteric law of </i>yibum<i> (levirate marriage) which a surprising number of kids actually knew about. For example:</i><br />
<i>"I know what </i>yibum<i> is! It's when you write E on a rocket and then it goes BOOM!" (He followed this joke with a significantly accurate explanation of the law).</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOVvXAXod09J2xcX7kXmTwjHKevltGivRKyOW3yKk2EgXyAeZaxgBSqNvCeIZGO3MLENDku7xRi-g4bpar5Pz5uozPFubhCyVBiyJtaCxmv4-GgFud1lwFh7ggs6mJMC-hW6UCbMte-6x/s1600/Toronto_ROM_ChalitzahShoePlaque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCOVvXAXod09J2xcX7kXmTwjHKevltGivRKyOW3yKk2EgXyAeZaxgBSqNvCeIZGO3MLENDku7xRi-g4bpar5Pz5uozPFubhCyVBiyJtaCxmv4-GgFud1lwFh7ggs6mJMC-hW6UCbMte-6x/s1600/Toronto_ROM_ChalitzahShoePlaque.jpg" height="188" width="640" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<i>We also discussed the idea of </i>mashiach <i>-- the savior who will be a descendant of King David. A particularly curious student asked,</i><br />
<i>"Is Mashiach a boy or a girl?"</i><br />
<i>I shrug. He continues:</i><br />
<i>"It's a girl. It sounds like a girl."</i><br />
<i>Well, I'm glad that's settled. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>* * *</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>It's Thursday morning and we are speeding through davening -- again. Thanks to the pipes of a stocky little chazan-in-training, we've been singing at top-speed for ten minutes and I am out of breath. Before </i>ashrei<i>, I stop the kids so we can slow down and breathe. When we resume singing, my little chazan comes up to me and says, </i><br />
<i>"If we daven fast, we have more... what do you call it....Learning Time!" He gives me a big grin and I can't do anything but laugh.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-39490874482799207342015-05-16T21:36:00.002-04:002015-05-16T21:36:25.527-04:00Thoughts<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>"Think happy thoughts...Think happy thoughts"</i> - (Peter Pan)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Frustrations</i></span><br />
<br />
1. In Boston, Jews must choose sides. Of the river, that is. Are you a Brookline person or a Cambridge person? What's that you say, neither? Go drown yourself in the Charles, please. We can't deal with unclassifiables.<br />
<br />
2. Stop gossiping. Just stop it. Unless one is with a mental health professional or best friend AND working through emotional pain, one should follow the rule: "If person X is not in the room, don't talk about person X."(Unless person X is a famous rabbi you are quoting).<br />
<br />
3. It is possible for a person to have few close friends and yet... everyone knows everything about said person. (see F2)<br />
<br />
4. Parking.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Facts</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
1. I live at 153 Chiswick Road, apartment two. It is in Brighton.<br />
<br />
2. Next year I am going to graduate school. I will be attending Brandeis' DeLet program for Secondary English Education in Jewish Day Schools. Many people tell me I will be poor. Thank you for your support.<br />
<br />
3. My program starts June 16. My last day of work is June 18. My brother's wedding is June 14. Hm...<br />
<br />
4. Travel and transition stresses me out.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Questions</span></i><br />
<br />
1. How does a city decide where to put the train and bus routes?<br />
<br />
2. How did "hooking-up" come into existence? Is it good or bad?<br />
<br />
3. Seriously, who invented the institution of marriage? Why is it so clique-y?<br />
<br />
4. What's more exhausting: physical pain or emotional pain?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have a great week!!</span>Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-60378146897577143402015-04-29T19:23:00.001-04:002015-04-29T19:54:48.765-04:00How to be Friends<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I think that people often forget how to treat each other. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">I can't explain exactly why or how, but I just know that we often get caught up in our own heads and act in ways that are beneficial for us but not for others. We lose sight of humanity. People get lost. People get hurt. We don't tell ourselves "be kind"; rather, we tell ourselves "be happy." Being happy is not wrong, but it is questionable when it comes at the expense of someone else's hurt.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Recently, the girls in third grade have been having a lot of "drama": exclusion, gossip, silent treatments, fights. This morning, they all had an Open Circle style meeting with the school social worker, and I was an observer. The meeting started off by talking about what it means to assume, and why it might be harmful to assume you know what someone is thinking, feeling, or doing. How can we avoid assuming? ASK. That is the only way.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">The girls then went on to talk about what it means to be a good friend. With the help of the social worker, they came up with a list of rules. As I was sitting listening to their ideas, so many of my recent human interactions swam up to pull at me. Why hadn't I remembered these simple rules? Why had I thought that only children needed rules to govern their relationships? We all do.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Read these rules. Pause after each one. Think about them. Use them. Do not assume. Be kind. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: 'Lucida Calligraphy'; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">Friendship Rules<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1. INCLUDE EACH OTHER IN GAMES<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2. IF SOMEONE IS HURT (EITHER </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">THEIR FEELINGS OR IN THEIR BODY) HELP
THEM</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">3. IF YOU ARE IN A FIGHT, WORK IT OUT
WITH <b><u>THAT </u></b>PERSON<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">4. DON’T TELL SECRETS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">5. IF YOU SEE SOMEONE ALONE, ASK THEM
TO PLAY<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">6. YOU CAN’T SAY "YOU CAN'T PLAY"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">7. NO TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE WHO IS
NOT THERE<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">8. THINK ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON'S
FEELINGS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">9. DON’T BE BOSSY<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">10. LET IT GO (referring to past fights)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">11. STAY CALM<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">12. ALWAYS LOOK AT WHO IS TALKING<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">It might be true that by third grade, you have learned everything you need to know about being a good person. Let's try to hang on to that knowledge for the rest of our lives.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">* * *</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">In another vein, the struggle of</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">single life/dating/breaking up/feeling horrible/not following the rules above</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> continues. But here's a new spin on it:</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><i>I am reading post-it notes the students have turned in on which they attempted to answer the questions: "What did Avraham want to find for Yitzchak? Where?" A correct answer (a wife; Haran) yields a raffle ticket in the child's mailbox. A few of my girls come up and start chatting with me as I read and distribute. Girl 1 is one of my sarcastically-gifted students.</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="color: orange;">Girl 1: You don't use the paper eater that I gave you! (referring to a device she invented made of folded paper in the shape of a triangular mouth that "eats" whomever you are mad at.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Me: How do you know?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: orange;">Girl 1: I have cameras in your house.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Me: Where did you put the cameras?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: orange;">Girl 1: Everywhere!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Me: Then tell me what my roommates were doing last night. <i>(They were feeding wheat grass to a guinea pig.)</i></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: purple;">Girl 2: You have roommates?!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Me: Yep.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: purple;">Girl 2: So you're in college?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Me: Nope.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: purple;">Girl 2: But then why do you have roommates?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Me: Because it's a big apartment. I don't need it all to myself.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: purple;">Girl 2: So get married and have kids!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Me: It's not that easy. You want to find me a husband?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #e06666;">Girl 3: Just marry one of the boys in our class!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Me: That would be illegal.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: purple;">Girl 2: No, it's not! Just put one on top of the other and then put a coat on them and...yeah!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Me: That would still be illegal...<i>(dissolves into uncontrollable laughter)</i></span></div>
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<i style="background-color: #eeeeee;">The End.</i></div>
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Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-5958757112624916342015-04-19T17:56:00.001-04:002015-05-01T06:28:30.294-04:00The Rules<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">a poem: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">The Rules<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">You are free from
many things,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">but you are not
exempt from the rules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Even you, yes you,
have rules to follow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Follow them<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and the results are
infinite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">See that boy over
there?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">His crossed arms,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">sprawled legs,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">slightly alcoholic
breath masked by minty freshness<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and unfairly long
eyelashes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">mark the beginning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">of an identity<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">that he will hold
onto<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">for as long as he
can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">He wants to follow
the rules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Do you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Rule Number One: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Let nothing impress
you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Whatever it is,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> Just walk by it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Make fleeting eye
contact. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Shrug your
shoulders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Do not smile
unprovoked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">When you receive a
compliment,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Do not say thank
you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Just nod.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">You already knew
that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Rule Number Two:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Let nothing scare
you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Thunder and
lightning?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t jump.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Teachers and principals?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Make them cry if
you can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Job interview?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Wear a tie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">You got this,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">smooth talker.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Rule Number Three:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Drink.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Smoke Pot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Hang out with other
people who<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Drink <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and Smoke Pot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Have Casual Sex.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Slip your hands
into your pockets<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and leave
afterwards<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">with a shrug.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Maybe you enjoyed
it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">(But only maybe.
You can’t be impressed by her, remember?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Rule Number Four:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Think highly of
yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Always.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">If the moment comes
when your self-opinion falters,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">fill the empty
thought-hole<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">with knowing
guffaws<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and sit on the
couch next to someone who is<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">not as cool as you
are.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Which brings me to
Rule Number Five:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Remember that most
people in this world are<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">not like you</span></i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">When you can help
it, do not give them a chance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It is like you are
human, and they are bug.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Make them cry if
you can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">(But only subtly.
They must think you are sort of nice). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">And Rule Number Six
is implied in Rule Number Five<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">but sometimes you
forget<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">because nobody is
perfect<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">so I will advise
you loudly and clearly:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Do Not Get <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Romantically
Involved <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">with <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;"><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">one of them</span></i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Because this is
what will happen:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">It will start on
the phone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">You will talk to
her <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and she will listen
to only your voice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and she will not
see your shrugs<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and she will not
remember <i>who you are</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and you will start
to forget <i>who you are</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and you will sit
across a table from each other<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and you will share
your French fries<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and you will make lasting
eye contact (no!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and you will smile unprovoked
(I told you not to!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and you will be
impressed with something she says (no, no, no!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">And before you know
it,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">you are not even
having sex <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">because she has
limits<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and you are
drinking more with your friends<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">because you can’t
drink with her<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and you are opening
yourself <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">because she has the
key<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and you are facing
yourself<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">because she holds
the mirror<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and <i>you can’t
you can’t you can’t do that<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">so you open the car
door <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">and push her out<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">because she has
threatened to impress you;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">she has threatened
to scare you;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">she has threatened
to <i>change you—<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">but the ice has
frozen over and it is too late.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">You will always be
cold. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Rule Number Seven:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Commit to nothing
and to no one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Except these rules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt;">Written by
Naomi Bilmes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #cfe2f3; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt;">Inspired by her
experiences as <i>one of them <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="background-color: #cfe2f3;">and the
spoken word poet Sarah Kaye, who says in her Ted Talk: “The number one rule to
being cool is to seem unfazed. Nothing scares you or impresses you.”</span><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-24826948574151275942015-04-07T10:11:00.000-04:002015-04-07T10:16:18.834-04:00For Your Inspiration (and Mine!)<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few thoughts that have been inspiring me and maybe can inspire you, too...</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>Cleaning in Order</i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">I heard a pre-Passover
lecture about cleaning -- who hasn't? But this one was different. The rabbi
quoted Marie Kondo's recent bestseller<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The
Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>According
to this book, we are to change our lives in three steps:</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://stockfresh.com/files/d/dotshock/m/28/823358_stock-photo-business-man-alone-in-conference-room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://stockfresh.com/files/d/dotshock/m/28/823358_stock-photo-business-man-alone-in-conference-room.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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1. Clean out the clutter in your house. All of it. At once. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br />
2. Realize there is nothing left to distract you, so now you must analyze
yourself and your own inner "mess."<br />
3. Change it!</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Obviously, the process has a few sub-steps, but the overall message is clear:
if your outer space is clean, then your inner space can be clean.<br />
For a person whose room is rarely cluttered or messy, you have to be a little creative with the first step: dust; give away old clothing; donate that college textbook you
thought you might open again but never have. Get rid of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>something</i>. Do the physical
work. And then the mental work can begin. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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It's a scary prospect--being alone in a clean room with just yourself and
your thoughts. And maybe a pen and paper. Go.</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana;"><b><i>You Don't Have to Suffer</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.656; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We all search for happiness, right? Wrong. It turns out that people often embrace their pain or dissatisfaction and hold onto it longer than they need to. I know that I have done this at certain points in my life; the important thing to recognize is that it is perfectly acceptable to feel negative emotions sometimes--healthy, even!--but it is not acceptable to think that you deserve them whenever you feel them. You do not have to be constantly burdened or hardened to be a better person. In fact, a friend of mine who is a life coach puts it like this:</span></div>
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<a href="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/p/6/005/08f/0f7/2970c40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://media.licdn.com/mpr/mpr/p/6/005/08f/0f7/2970c40.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.656; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Some people consider </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.656; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the quest for happiness to be self-centered and self-indulgent.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.656; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.656; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">However, survey after survey has shown that it is </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.656; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">unhappy</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.656; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> people who tend to be most self-focused and are often socially withdrawn, brooding, and even antagonistic. Happy people, in contrast, are generally found to be more sociable, creative, loving and forgiving than unhappy people."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.656; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, what can we learn from this? That it's okay to search for your own happiness! It serves yourself <i>and</i> others! Searching for happiness is not selfish at all; just remember that once you find it (even if it's only a spark!) spread it around. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.656; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Life is too short to be gritting our teeth and pushing the pedals. Get a job you actually enjoy. Move to a new apartment, city, state, country. Cut contact with that person who is really pissing you off. Yes, these things take effort and patience. But we're adults now, I think. Most good things take effort and patience. So sober up and go chase 'em.</span></div>
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<a href="https://youngshintrip.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/happiness-quotes-pinterestwe-love-quotes-on-pinterest-46-pins-httsdvtz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://youngshintrip.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/happiness-quotes-pinterestwe-love-quotes-on-pinterest-46-pins-httsdvtz.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.656; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Confused? Just Write About It.</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.656; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today I decided to watch some Ted Talks. I landed on the spoken word category and watched a talk by one of my favorites, Sarah Kaye. She begins and ends her talk with poetry, but in the middle she talks about getting students to write poems and the power of writing poetry as a mode of discovery. Kaye explains, "I write poetry to help me work through what I don't understand," and I have to say that I agree. Writing poetry can help you figure out <b>how</b> you feel, <b>why</b> you feel it, or why something happened the way it did. And you don't have to write a poem, necessarily--journaling, list-making, or stream-of-consciousness writing can also help you be a self-comprehending, emotive human being. Need a push? Try starting some sentences with these phrases: <i>I want, I enjoy, I miss, I love, I hate, I know, I hope, I remember, Today is, Tomorrow will be, Next year... </i></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.kaysarahsera.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG_7074-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kaysarahsera.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG_7074-copy.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.8400001525879px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Check out Sarah Kaye's Ted Talk </span><a href="http://www.ted.com/playlists/87/spoken_word_fireworks" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24.8400001525879px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">here.</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><b><i>Find a Golden Frame</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The
Wall Street Journal published an article today about constructing our own
personal narratives (<i>Healing Power of Good Spin</i>, Elizabeth Bernstein).
When something happens to us, how do we think about it; talk about it? How
do we explain our lives? Do we feel victimized or in control? Do we feel alone
or connected? Did a negative experience teach us something positive? Do we let
the negatives color a good experience? Naturally, the more optimistic and
positive our narratives are, the more content we will be (dare I use the word
'happy'? See above!) </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">For
example, I caught a nasty virus as soon as Passover break started. I mostly
missed the Seders, didn't go to synagogue, didn't get to see my relatives, and
cancelled a trip to see my friends. I told my mom that “Hashem must be
punishing me for something.” BUT! At least I don’t have to worry about missing
work. I have time to read, learn Torah, and write. I am at my parents’ house so
good meals are easy to come by. I have a nice bed and couches to rest on. There is no pressure to 'be productive'--just get better; my body is telling me exactly what I need to do. I
have time for phone calls and Skype dates. And I can return to work as a hopeful and healthy human! A friend of my parents' told me: "This is a good sign. Only conscientious teachers get sick over vacation." So obviously, this bodes well for my current career path. </span><img goomoji="330" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/e/330" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0.2ex; vertical-align: middle;" /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAyjnkcVTX2EKXSNR6_y8KbEkJcqn32Rq_gmbGO832_dh8UrFu42dxyveeQZBNIik45fKMz-xpc6s4NxkU-sW3NmteUdWSDgzwMX4V1efKHmcSlqrJGslDdd7TAh0VaIkgdK5AxtQFjH_/s1600/Golden+Frame.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAyjnkcVTX2EKXSNR6_y8KbEkJcqn32Rq_gmbGO832_dh8UrFu42dxyveeQZBNIik45fKMz-xpc6s4NxkU-sW3NmteUdWSDgzwMX4V1efKHmcSlqrJGslDdd7TAh0VaIkgdK5AxtQFjH_/s1600/Golden+Frame.png" height="290" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">I hope these thoughts have inspired you,
and that you also find your own inspiration throughout the week! </span></div>
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Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0Connecticut, USA41.6032207 -73.08774900000003140.081470700000004 -75.669536000000036 43.1249707 -70.505962000000025tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-87651931035476968462015-03-26T16:29:00.002-04:002015-03-26T16:30:24.262-04:00They Grow Up so Fast!I never understood teachers when in May or June they told us: "You're closer to being (n+1)th graders than nth graders!" (insert appropriate number of n+1 and n, where n = current grade level). No matter how close I was to the next grade, I was still technically in<i> my </i>grade, so wasn't I closer to the grade that I was in? Or was this a math concept that would be taught in the anticipated next grade?<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-ved="0CAcQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chymfm.com%2Ftag%2Fminion%2F&ei=w14TVdfOFMXPaJXsgfgM&bvm=bv.89381419,d.cGU&psig=AFQjCNGFP6Ryrp_YbhewJPjmFFMz3j12Pw&ust=1427418673175114" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img src="http://www.chymfm.com/files/Minions-despicable-me-and-minions-35037432-480-480.jpg" height="200" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hurrah! Fourth grade!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In any case, the third grade lead teachers at Maimonides have been encouraging (and reprimanding) students with "You're almost fourth graders now!" and "Would a fourth grader do that?" And the results are in: it's almost Passover, so the year really is almost over.<br />
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I want to use this post to mark a few changes that show that my students are, indeed, on their way to being fourth graders. It's just that time of year.<br />
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1. <em><strong><span style="color: #0b5394;">Tefillah</span></strong> </em>(prayer) in the morning -- On my first day at the school, as soon as tefillah ended, I scurried over to my notebook and wrote down, "Tefillah: DISASTER." Then I scribbled down a list of idealistic plans of how I was going to change it all and make these kids love tefillah more than they loved Oreos or Rainbow Loom. Needless to say, that didn't exactly happen. What did happen, however, was that as we incorporated more prayers, more songs, more what-and-why discussions and more hand motions, tefillah became less of a disaster. Now they pray the entire <i>amidah </i>quietly. They enthusiastically sing the <i>shema </i>because they act it out with hand motions and know what it means. Their fingers bumble along the many lines of <i>Az Yashir</i> (Song of the Sea) as they listen to a Sephardi guy sing the tongue-twisting Biblical words (take a listen <a href="http://www.mechonhadar.org/tefillah-element/az-yashir-moshe-song-sea" target="_blank">here</a>. It's the second one). They have learned so much.<br />
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To be sure, sometimes tefillah still qualifies as a disaster. Sometimes they don't stop talking or poking or shoving. Sometimes that loud kid just leaves everyone else five notes behind. Sometimes they eat or sleep or play with their spy watches. Sometimes I can barely sing three words in a row because boy after boy asks if he can go to the bathroom. But the disaster days are notably fewer and the disasters are often confined to only one desk cluster (there was a hot chocolate spill on a siddur this week -- oy vey).<br />
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At the beginning of the year, I was in constant debate with myself about whether or not I needed to pray on my own before I got to school. If I did so, I would have to be careful to omit God's name in certain places when leading the kids so I wouldn't be repeating a blessing unnecessarily. That caused some internal anxiety. But now I know for sure that I can pray with the kids and I don't have to pray beforehand. We say all of the morning blessings, <i>ashrei, az yashir, yishtabach</i>, the <i>shema</i>, the <i>amidah, aleinu</i>, and some other bits and pieces. And now that the kids say the <i>amidah</i> in sweet silence, sometimes I can even pray with grateful intention. :)<br />
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We taught the kids the Shema in American Sign Language</div>
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2. Believe it or not, <em><b><span style="color: #351c75;">these kids are getting smarter.</span></b></em> Their paragraphs are longer. They (mostly) stopped writing "I to eat" in Hebrew. They know the classroom routines and some of them even write down their homework <i>before</i> we tell them to. They know way more about Purim than they did a few months ago (most of them did really well on their pop test!) and they sit on the edge of their seats waiting to hear <i>what Avraham actually did with that knife. </i>Oh, and they can read Rashi script. No big deal.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Rashi_Script/Chumash_and_Rashi/chumwithrashi.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Rashi_Script/Chumash_and_Rashi/chumwithrashi.gif" height="117" width="320" /></a></div>
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3. <em><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Hugs.</span></b></em> Some of the girls now give me hugs. I'm not sure this indicates fourth-grader-ness, but it does indicate that the girls have grown more comfortable with me, and this was definitely not happening six months ago. Some of the boys have grown more comfortable with me, too, but they express it in different ways: telling me about their ski trips, their moms, their dads, their play dates, and by trying to pronounce my last name.<br />
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4. <em><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Sarcasm.</span></b></em> It is a well-known fact that young kids do not understand sarcasm. If you use sarcasm with them, they think you are being mean and they cry. Or, on the off chance that they don't think you are being mean, they still do not think you are funny, so they give you a blank stare and go back to playing with their rubber bands. <br />
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Third grade is the age where an understanding of sarcasm can begin to dawn. There is one girl in particular who totally gets it. During the apocalyptic fortnight of snow, she started asking me if I had climbed any snow mountains on my way to work, and we soon began a daily ritual of telling each other about our earthen adventures. Had her leggings always been blue? No, she had come across some snail dye. Had my scarf always been red ? Only after I killed that lion. When another student (or teacher) walks by looking confused, we share a knowing look.<br />
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Another instance of understanding that people often mean the opposite of what they say: I always go to art with the kids because the art teacher wants an extra set of adult hands (and I not-so-secretly love going to art). Recently, the kids were making Minions and other various objects out of clay. I sat next one boy and quickly noted what he was making.<br />
<a data-ved="0CAcQjRw" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CAcQjRw&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fofficiaiminion&ei=u1wTVb-JBJDOaN-1gtAJ&bvm=bv.89381419,d.cGU&psig=AFQjCNGFP6Ryrp_YbhewJPjmFFMz3j12Pw&ust=1427418673175114" id="irc_mil" jsaction="mousedown:irc.rl;keydown:irc.rlk;irc.il;" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img height="320" id="irc_mi" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000451012500/4628fbb9dc70514d389ed9491243866f_400x400.png" style="margin-top: 14px;" width="320" /></a>"Is that a whale?" I asked. <span id="goog_344213426"></span><span id="goog_344213427"></span><br />
"No!" he exclaimed. "It's an airplane!"<br />
"Right," I replied. "I knew that."<br />
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A few minutes later, another boy came up to me.<br />
"He said you thought he was making a whale!"<br />
I looked at him with a straight face. "I never said that."<br />
"He said you did!"<br />
"No, I always knew it was an airplane."<br />
"You're lying!" With this, my lips began to smile.<br />
"I wouldn't lie."<br />
"Yes you would!"<br />
"I definitely would not." <br />
He is laughing by now.<br />
"Ahh!! I can't tell if you're lying or not!!" <br />
At this point I burst out laughing, and my conversation partner flies around the room laughing frustrated-ly and trying to figure out I<em>s Morah Naomi lying? </em>He's definitely onto something.<br />
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5. <b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><em>Young love</em>.</span></b> One of the best parts of working in a third grade classroom is that there is no romance -- right?<br />
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Recently, a boy named R walked into class and dropped a home-made bracelet onto a girl's desk. The girl, J, looked shocked but pleased. Although I thought they were an unlikely match, J seemed to return R's affections. They started writing notes and leaving them in each other's classroom mailboxes. R made a bracelet for himself, too, so now they can match. Parent-teacher conferences gave us more information: J has a small picture of R taped inside her jewelry box. R's mom hopes this will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.<br />
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Today at recess, R threw a paper airplane at J, and she smiled at him. To me, that seals that deal: if she's able to cope with his immature qualities and poor communication skills, this relationship could last a long time. Maybe even into fourth grade. <br />
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<br />Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-67018212573444133792015-03-03T18:04:00.001-04:002015-03-03T18:04:58.598-04:00In Costume<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In the weeks leading up to Purim, my third graders have had much reason to dress up. They recently completed their Hero Projects, in which they researched and presented Biblical characters; next, they worked very hard on their Purim Play, a Hebrew/English medley of rhymes and famous songs re-written with lyrics about Purim. It was a general ode to chaos and confusion, but nonetheless highly adorable to watch. Pictures and stories are below. Enjoy!</div>
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First, the Hero Projects:</div>
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So apparently that's Joseph in his "technicolor dreamcoat." Did you know he was also a hippie?</div>
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This is King David. Despite this child's red hair, he still insisted on wearing an orange hat under his crown just to make sure that there was no doubt about David's hair color.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVov5-h-wdu-duw_2_ALhTC5vbLww6KGxBJtqhyphenhyphenMM-NfO4yYwbtlwcLWVPlMneUZQ_r5H4j7680IAVDcCDVp1qdbAb3QAjshE7rSK6Cf-njmFH8w28ibv94bvxJC_AGrYO2iKVT9yY5e6/s1600/2015-02-24+09.27.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCVov5-h-wdu-duw_2_ALhTC5vbLww6KGxBJtqhyphenhyphenMM-NfO4yYwbtlwcLWVPlMneUZQ_r5H4j7680IAVDcCDVp1qdbAb3QAjshE7rSK6Cf-njmFH8w28ibv94bvxJC_AGrYO2iKVT9yY5e6/s1600/2015-02-24+09.27.58.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
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Daniel -- as in Daniel and the lion's den. From the wizard costume it should be totally obvious. </div>
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In any case, when the students learned the story of Purim, we taught them a midrash about Mordechai and Haman being friends many years before. This little guy raises his hand and connects the whole thing to Spongebob Squarepants. He proceeds to tell us how "It's just like Plankton and Mr. Krabs! They used to be friends but then Mr. Krabs created the krabby patty secret formula and now they're enemies!" The lead teacher looks non-plussed and says, "I think you have to see the episode to really understand." I told him afterwards that it was a great connection (it really was).</div>
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I forget who he dressed up as. Oh wait, I remember: Adorable. </div>
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This girl is a character. She dressed up as Sarah by wearing a white dress. Was that a midrash or something, that Sarah always wore white? In any case, I work with her on Hebrew reading and Judaics homework, and sometimes we can barely continue because she's constantly cracking jokes and making us both laugh with her sarcastic, goofy, out-of-nowhere sense of humor. One time I asked her amid giggles, "How did you get to be so funny when you're only in third grade? I wasn't that funny in third grade!" She continued to gasp for air through her laughs and told me, "And you still aren't!"</div>
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Miriam, Moses' sister. Complete with rosary beads.</div>
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THIS GIRL DRESSED UP AS JUDITH</div>
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She is very shy in public, but mustered up the courage to tell us the story of how Yehudit killed General Holofernes in the Hasmonean war against the Greeks. She fed him wine and goat cheese to make him fall asleep (pictured above), then chopped off his head, put it on a pole, and stuck it on the city wall. She is the <i>real </i>hero of Hanukkah.</div>
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This isn't a costume, she was just excited to show me her geometric masterpiece on the day that I subbed for the English teacher (remind me never to do that again. The role reversal confused the kids way too much, resulting in one of them responding to the writing prompt, "If you met a famous person, who would it be and what would you do with them?" with "Kill Barack Obama"). Anyway, the child pictured above is very sweet and would never do anything like that. I recently had occasion to tell her that she is a good friend. She replied, "Yeah, my dad's a psychologist." I laughed and told her: "Some people would just say thank you."</div>
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And now: the Purim Play!</div>
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These are the kids singing their hearts out in the Purim Play. I did not have a good picture-taking spot, so hopefully I will get some pictures from other people (the parents took about 7 million) and post them. Some of the boys are wearing <i>tallitot</i> because they were the "Anashim" -- Jewish men persecuted by Haman in Persia.</div>
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The "feast" after the play featured Ginger Ale and left-over fake facial hair.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZiO6DSZMSzbvICLw4k8TlVBnjeBWeRm8y1-tri8Cd68B4hvDD75yE4fKs7qPX2l6zT7b7dTAZTmlKEZY6GQNNj-3PcOG24sj8CNESAgurdGtcdE7MuW8fBhaDQ3SV9hYIUECrYdzYSuwO/s1600/2015-03-03+10.11.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZiO6DSZMSzbvICLw4k8TlVBnjeBWeRm8y1-tri8Cd68B4hvDD75yE4fKs7qPX2l6zT7b7dTAZTmlKEZY6GQNNj-3PcOG24sj8CNESAgurdGtcdE7MuW8fBhaDQ3SV9hYIUECrYdzYSuwO/s1600/2015-03-03+10.11.02.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
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Ah, Purim, the holiday of drinking. And sugar.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeduZslh9Xxg1YK_SQJhq7wooqud_Q9_qXdKYqwrpnb-uCmYagAruzHImf6J-v1wC5Lx2yw6tX5v1QXfCdVyw0yZjG5b7XWMM5-51diZerPoMsMBDkhjHwF4usj88nPD_yE-jugDebIyH/s1600/2015-03-03+10.12.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeduZslh9Xxg1YK_SQJhq7wooqud_Q9_qXdKYqwrpnb-uCmYagAruzHImf6J-v1wC5Lx2yw6tX5v1QXfCdVyw0yZjG5b7XWMM5-51diZerPoMsMBDkhjHwF4usj88nPD_yE-jugDebIyH/s1600/2015-03-03+10.12.14.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
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All of the girls got to wear beautiful gowns for the play. What did I learn from this? That I want to wear a beautiful gown!! The girl on the left was one of the narrators and town gad-abouts. The girl on the right played Vashti, and did so with stunning attitude. She was also the subject of the song "Let Her Go," a new version of <i>Frozen</i>'s biggest hit that I wrote for this year's show. Think: "<i>Vashti always bothered us anyway..."</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItMkeADqmIOdHOQHPN9By9Qwi-ksCTSH70uLzW8MGa6aeK0scQ2_i0jqkYpNc14y6Ot5ZS4JaCoat8V0VYQGstMxO36EnOXWwhoYLteGedBgx67xsW3QDWGfmBDsH5pG_Lm9tVH_8E2cD/s1600/2015-02-24+09.38.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhItMkeADqmIOdHOQHPN9By9Qwi-ksCTSH70uLzW8MGa6aeK0scQ2_i0jqkYpNc14y6Ot5ZS4JaCoat8V0VYQGstMxO36EnOXWwhoYLteGedBgx67xsW3QDWGfmBDsH5pG_Lm9tVH_8E2cD/s1600/2015-02-24+09.38.42.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
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This kid is just "so yummy" (his mom's word, not mine, but it's true. What a sweetheart.) He isn't dressed up as anything in this picture, but you gotta admire how his neon shoelaces match his sweatshirt. And how his glasses are so trendy. And how, when he can locate it, he wears a kippah that says "<span style="font-size: x-small;">REAL MEN WEAR PINK.</span>"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sYvcgCEfSnLuXmtF6-6tjxGQhXRyPtgtxRwJ62r_gAHDy3uQwApWizebFxk6EtAOBvd1VJ4hTlYVwVntObXIfy7Xtw1n9Xu377sFvRnNdZIhX27Paj5770nAAzsWJlOCRR3bpcFhuoOl/s1600/2015-03-03+16.49.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sYvcgCEfSnLuXmtF6-6tjxGQhXRyPtgtxRwJ62r_gAHDy3uQwApWizebFxk6EtAOBvd1VJ4hTlYVwVntObXIfy7Xtw1n9Xu377sFvRnNdZIhX27Paj5770nAAzsWJlOCRR3bpcFhuoOl/s1600/2015-03-03+16.49.03.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
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Flowers! No, they are not from a secret admirer; rather, they are from the PTA, thanking us teachers for coordinating 41 eight- and nine-year olds in an hour of song, dance, and memorized lines! </div>
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חג פורים שמח</div>
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Chag Purim Sameach!</div>
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Have a *HAPPY* Purim!! </div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(it's not really a *choice*; it's the halachah!)</span></div>
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<br />Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-37835229476557787222015-02-25T21:15:00.001-04:002015-02-25T21:15:31.329-04:00The Child in a Box <div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7000007629395px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <i>* a poem *</i></span></span></div>
<a href="http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/brown-cardboard-box-29478269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/brown-cardboard-box-29478269.jpg" height="200" width="196" /></a><b id="docs-internal-guid-6570018e-c35d-0ff6-b262-5cbe45feb786" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The UPS man just delivered a brown cardboard box.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is taped with light brown tape;</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">next to the scrawled address is a warning: </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Caution! Contents may cause fragile objects to break!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Before I open the box, I check my apartment for breakables.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(I forget to look inside myself).</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I slide the dull blade of a scissor through the tape and a child pops out.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I’m hungry!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I lead the child into the kitchen and listen to baby teeth crunch a sugary granola bar as I boil water and stir in some instant hot cocoa mix.There are marshmallows, of course.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The child slurps up the last chocolate-y dregs and pronounces,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Let’s play Legos!”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but I shake my head. I gave all my Legos away years ago.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Do you have trucks?” It tries again,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but I have to say no. I never owned any trucks.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Then let’s make snow angels.” </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This time it is certain. But I shamefully look down at the hardwood floor because, well, people like me grew out of their snow pants one day and didn't buy new ones.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The child plops down on the floor</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">looking up at me with round brown eyes.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I twinge inside (but don’t break)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and I think of the eight-pack of Crayola markers hiding in my closet.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I retrieve it.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The round brown eyes get rounder.</span></div>
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<a href="http://assets.dornob.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/rgb-hybrid-color-mural-468x322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://assets.dornob.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/rgb-hybrid-color-mural-468x322.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We begin drawing on the walls. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The walls were boring and white (very adult)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but we fill them with stories.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A swirl of blue forms an ocean,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a spurt of red is a volcano,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a blob of green is a jumping frog prince,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a spot of orange is a retreating sun.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are busy for hours</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">writing our lives’ adventures together.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And oh, what adventures they are.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The child gets tired</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and curls up against me,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the head snuggling sweetly into my waist.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I want only to feel its softness there forever.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I look up at our wall </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and begin to tell the child our stories. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If I tell of a frog prince and princess</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">who meet just as the sun is setting</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and who flick their rough tongues out at each other</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">at just the right moment</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">so that magic begins</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">maybe I can keep the child’s head</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">nesting against my belly for just a little bit longer.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs47/f/2009/207/2/9/Setting_Sun_by_RadenWA.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs47/f/2009/207/2/9/Setting_Sun_by_RadenWA.png" height="166" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But then I notice a black spot where the orange sun was just a few minutes ago. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I falter, pausing for a second. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How did it get there?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The child twitches.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The story comes back to me then,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but it no longer flows like it once did.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Suddenly, there is a knock on the door.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The child stirs.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I feel an unpleasant pressure in my hip as the child’s elbow digs into it.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When my hand touches the cold metal knob, I know who waits on the other side.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The UPS man--always kind, always polite--holds out his roll of tape and a fresh box.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The child scurries toward him and climbs in.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“But why?” I ask. “Why do you have to go?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The child looks at me as if it should be obvious.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You don’t have snow pants.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With that, the child ducks down and the man tapes up the box.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because children, like lovers, need you </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and warm your body for only a short time.</span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With the child gone,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I return to the hardwood floor </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and sit</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">fragile</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">--and perhaps broken--</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">staring at the blazing wall</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and reading our story</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">again and again</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and again.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000yfx7d7gC5Fo/s/850/850/060114-Chamblee-mural-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000yfx7d7gC5Fo/s/850/850/060114-Chamblee-mural-1.jpg" height="249" width="400" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<br /><br />Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-16755716311239480542015-02-02T11:55:00.001-04:002015-02-02T11:55:19.906-04:00The Prophet"Who needs soap-operas when you have a family?" my grandmother likes to say. Safta Bilmes, as we call her, never has a shortage of stories about her youth, adulthood, motherhood and grand-motherhood -- each one more riveting than the last, and most of them revolving around her family. As I grow up, I can start to see the truth of her statement: families are a web of weird uncles, long-lost cousins, estranged daughters, divorced parents and wandering children. I have never actually watched a true soap opera, but I can only imagine the mosaic of characters and plot lines. If my Safta says that's family, then that's family.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/84/f1/69/84f16950a32d2a672e8c12cd576d85c1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/84/f1/69/84f16950a32d2a672e8c12cd576d85c1.jpg" height="231" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
But we all know that, for the most part, television is highly unrealistic. Especially reality shows (irony of all ironies). Doctors just aren't that gorgeous; there are no vampire slayers; parents don't commit such high levels of cheesy-crime when telling their kids that they love them; string music does not start playing as soon as two lovers lock eyes.<br />
<br />
Oddly enough, however, occasionally television does imitate life. I noticed a striking example last week when I re-watched an episode in the seventh season of <i>Gilmore Girls </i>(thank you, Netflix)<i>.</i> I have been slowly re-making my way through the last season of the show, hoping to find some redeeming plot points in it while entertaining myself with episodes I have only seen once before.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://cdn1.theodysseyonline.com/files/2014/12/23/635549141975747226-1765738860_gilmore-girls-unto-breach-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://cdn1.theodysseyonline.com/files/2014/12/23/635549141975747226-1765738860_gilmore-girls-unto-breach-04.jpg" width="320" /></a>The first time I watched Season 7 was in 2007 -- I was 16. I watched Rory graduate college with the wide eyes of someone who had only yet dreamed of such halls of intellect and tome-filled libraries. Someday, I would be her.<br />
<br />
Now, eight years later, my stage of life matches Rory's and all of a sudden, I understand what's going on. She's floundering in a pool of self-doubt and uncertainty, looking for a first job post-degree. Is she "good enough"? Will employers be willing to take a chance on her inexperience? She also faces a question of priorities: will she follow a job or follow a man? She and Logan have decided to "factor each other in," but what does that really mean? About a year ago, a certain guy and I had decided to "factor each other in" in our job searches, too, but as that process progressed, I realized I wasn't ready to factor in such a wild card. My own self was wild card enough. So I chose career. Spoiler: Rory will, too.<br />
<br />
I was struck by how well the lowly art form of television could imitate my life. It made me think about my own journey and my own choices. It made me empathize just a little bit with the brilliant, privileged, gorgeous Rory Gilmore. It made me thankful for what I have (cue cheesy violin music).<br />
<br />
And now there is a poem that I want to share with you. It does not relate to <i>Gilmore Girls</i>, but it is the episode of my life that most resembles television, or perhaps a movie. As it was happening to me, a part of my brain knocked at my consciousness: <i>Is this real? Are you sure this is real?</i> Because this is the type of thing that only happens in movies. Except, of course, that it happened to me.<br />
Exactly like this. <img goomoji="gtalk.347" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/e/gtalk.347" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0.2ex; vertical-align: middle;" /><br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">The
Prophet</span></i></h4>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I met him on a plane.</div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
No, that’s not right.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I met him on the public ride-share van on the way
to the airport<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
but it sounds more like a fairy tale (a modern
one) to say that<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="http://kitchendinner.com/img/Jewelry/10k-white-question-mark-diamond-pen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://kitchendinner.com/img/Jewelry/10k-white-question-mark-diamond-pen.jpg" width="199" /></a>I met him on a plane. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
He hurtled into the van<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
full of sweat and beer<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
but wearing a tall suit<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and a badge with the name of a prophet on it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
He was breathing hard<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
so I took a breath and a word slipped out—<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
just a little one, with a question mark dangling
on the end.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
The mark led us through the snaking airport lines<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
(and by “us” I mean me, him and his harmonica)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and as we pushed one cart,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
music flowed around us<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and the people looked more friendly <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
than they would have if I had been traveling
alone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
We glided past the candy kiosks and the cascading
fountain,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and when his passport picture smiled up at me<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
mine blinked, in disbelief,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
back at him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
It was past midnight <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and the prince had not yet<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
turned into a pumpkin.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130411165535/disney/images/a/a8/Peter-pan-disneyscreencaps_com-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130411165535/disney/images/a/a8/Peter-pan-disneyscreencaps_com-15.jpg" width="320" /></a>And then we were in the golden carriage;<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
bumping along and then flying—magically—<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
into the night <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and past the second star on the right<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and backwards, towards the sunrise.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
With the harmonica tucked away,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
our voices swung quietly back and forth<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
between our two seats<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
until finally he asked,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<i>Can I see your hand?</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and so I showed it to him; gave it to him,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
wondering if he was reading my palm<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
with his prophecy,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
but it turned out that he just wanted to hold it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Which was even better.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
When we finally fell asleep,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
there had been stories<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and music<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and musical stories<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and gazes<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
in silence<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and gazes<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
with words<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and moments when I had closed my eyes<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
praying that there would be something to gaze at <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
when I opened them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<a href="http://poliklinika-arcadia.hr/en/images/stories/plastic/hand-v.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://poliklinika-arcadia.hr/en/images/stories/plastic/hand-v.jpg" width="320" /></a>And shoulders became pillows<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and words became dreams<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and every so often<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
I would wake <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
in wonder<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
because arms that I had known for only a few hours<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
were around me<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
in comfort<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
saving me<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
from the world<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
that I had come from<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and the world<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
that I was going to.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
(Maybe he knew about this place that I was going
to.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Maybe he could tell me—he was a prophet, after
all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
But prophets don’t reveal the word to just anyone.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
You have to deserve it. Would I?)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
His lips on my forehead<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
and the squeeze of his arms<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
were the final touches<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
that made our world complete.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Just the two of us.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
No other passengers,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
no shrink-wrapped omelets,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
no dinging seatbelt signs.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">
Just the prophet and me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But plane rides end,<o:p></o:p></div>
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and so do all Edens.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All I have left are apple seeds<o:p></o:p></div>
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that the wind blew through my fingers<o:p></o:p></div>
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when I tried to plant them,<o:p></o:p></div>
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and withered flower petals<o:p></o:p></div>
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that flew away<o:p></o:p></div>
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into the sunrise.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-8156607243897262792015-01-14T21:30:00.003-04:002015-01-14T21:30:57.500-04:00Every Girl's DreamWinter vacation has come and gone, and third-graders still send forth hilarity. Just about every day. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://indulgy.ccio.co/a3/S4/T/il570xN35861804082al.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://indulgy.ccio.co/a3/S4/T/il570xN35861804082al.jpg" height="200" width="161" /></a></div>
Lately, however, I've noticed a theme to their hilarious comments: gender. I don't really know what to make of this, except that I am fascinated to watch how gender socialization starts to manifest at such a young age. I find myself thinking: What is contributing to their concepts of gender? Do I, the non-influential teaching assistant, get any input? How can I prevent them from thinking that boys are Y and girls are X? But if boys are at least partly Y and girls are at least partly X, is it worth trying persuade them otherwise?<br />
<br />
Here are a few examples of what I have heard recently:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<br />
We have been learning how to describe eyes and hair in Hebrew: blue eyes, brown eyes, glasses, blonde hair, red hair, short hair, long hair, curly hair, straight hair, there's-no-Hebrew-word-for-wavy hair, etc. A wiry little boy (let's call him T) who is either giggling and giddy with energy or mortally angry because someone took his [<u>insert coveted object here]</u> today, decides to offer his input about hair. E, a very bright but socially awkward boy sits next to T. Depending on the day, T and E are either best friends or arch-nemeses. After we learn that "long hair" is שערות ארוכות (se'arot arukot), T says,<br />
<i><br /></i>
"My sister wants long hair. That's every girl's dream."<i> </i><br />
E has a different opinion:<i> </i>"My sister's dream is to overrule her mom,"<i> </i>he says<i>. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
So here we have two eight-year-old boys waxing scholarly on the hopes and dreams of girls. I'd say they've got it about right. Except that they obviously don't know about angled, asymmetrical pixie cuts.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4841851/Little-boy-plans-to-donate-hair-to-cancer-stricken-kids.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://img.thesun.co.uk/aidemitlum/archive/01691/Hair_01_1691591a.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Um, that's a boy. <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4841851/Little-boy-plans-to-donate-hair-to-cancer-stricken-kids.html" target="_blank">Click</a> if you don't believe me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
* * *</div>
<br />
Here's another:<br />
<br />
An incredibly sweet and kind boy -- you met him <a href="http://injudithsroom.blogspot.com/2014/12/children-are-cute-especially-when-they.html" target="_blank">a few posts ago</a> -- loves spicy salsa and thinks he becomes "a man" if he eats it without drinking water. He remembered that I laughed heartily at this joke (which I probably shouldn't have if I wanted to discourage him from thinking in gender stereotypes, but it was just SO CUTE) and has since continued with his "be a man" regimen -- mostly to make me laugh. When the class made Hanukkah cookies, he asked me to peel his dreidel-shaped dough off of the table and put it on the cookie sheet.<br />
"I'm a man," he pronounced, "and I can't do delicate things! That's why YOU need to do it for me." I pointed out that he was already deep into the baking process, which might be construed as 'delicate' if he wasn't careful.<br />
A few weeks later, the same child comes in from recess yelling,<br />
"Morah Naomi! I'm the manliest of the manliest and the craziest of the craziest!" I have yet to figure out exactly what that means, but I think I get the gist.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://content.artofmanliness.com/uploads//2010/12/cookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://content.artofmanliness.com/uploads//2010/12/cookie.jpg" height="249" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>She </i>made the cookies, of course.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As you can see, the concept of "manliness" is already evident in eight-year-olds, even if they don't have a complete grasp on what it can mean. When I ask the boys what they want to be when they grow up, they say things like: engineer, scientist, IDF soldier, police officer. During lunch, one of the boys sometimes pushes around a trash can and says in a deep voice: "Hey, I'm a janitor!" At this point, it seems that the boys are just modelling what they see in their own lives. It doesn't occur to them yet that men can be bakers, artists and teachers -- even though some of them love art class and others greatly enjoy explaining things to others. Hm. They will learn.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sarracenia.com/photos/dionaea/dionamusci091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sarracenia.com/photos/dionaea/dionamusci091.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venus Flytrap! The sides close and the fly gets trapped.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But my favorite gender comment by far came from a girl. She has quite the sense of humor and consistently badgers me to buy her a dog. She got a Venus flytrap for Hanukkah and, in addition to her obsession with carnivorous things, has a great sense of style. On one lovely occasion when I had lunch duty, she got up from her boy-heavy table (totally breaking a rule -- the kids are supposed to raise their hand if they need something) and made a request of me:<br />
<br />
<b>"Morah Naomi, can you make the boys be less boy?"</b><br />
<br />
I knew exactly what she meant. Unfortunately, I had to say,<br />
"No, I can't."<br />
If only! But now I know what every girl's dream is: not to grow long locks, nor to overrule a parental figure; rather, to make third grade boys act less like third grade boys. To make them stop burping, teasing, and launching food particles off of their spoons. To make them move off the soccer field so the girls can practice cartwheels and back-bends. To make them stop tackling each other at every possible moment.<br />
<br />
Because one thing I have noticed is that, at the third grade level, boys are distinctly "boy" and girls are distinctly "girl" and there is very little overlap. They do not play together, and a girl will even submit a request "to sit with more girls" at her classroom desk cluster. The girls bring in dolls and stuffed animals to play with at recess, and the boys bring in toy cars, Gameboys, and spy watches. And so I come back to the questions: Where did they learn that? Did their parents teach them? Did their siblings teach them? Did society teach them? When? They're only eight!<br />
<br />
Well, eight years is plenty of time -- plenty of time for norms to take hold. And dare I say that these norms will always exist? I dare. And when they come to an end, every girl's dream will be... a Venus flytrap.<br />
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<br />Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-825632711511369428.post-9493946479382352122014-12-28T10:41:00.001-04:002014-12-28T10:41:15.701-04:00The Journey -- It Goes On<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<a href="http://www.9calendar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/New-Years-Eve-Cartoons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.9calendar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/New-Years-Eve-Cartoons.jpg" /></a>Since Facebook did such a terrible job of summing up my year, I'll have to
do it myself. </div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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This year contained a lot of <span style="color: red;">"firsts"</span> for
me, so I'll start with those. Then I'll move on to the <span style="color: red;">constants</span> -- mostly struggles,
states of being, ideas and people that continued to be present throughout my
year. I hope you enjoy!<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, here goes Part I: 2014 is the first time
I...<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Moved to Boston<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Got a full-time job (I am not a full-time student)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Am fully funding myself! (rent, food, transportation, bills...oh, wait, I'm
still on my parents' insurance. Never mind).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Created a budget spread sheet (see #3). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Spent the entire summer at a Ramah Camp (and lived to tell about it.
Remember that other summer when I didn't live to tell about it?)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Had a three-week period when <i><span style="color: #741b47;">I
didn't know when I was leaving West Hartford</span></i><i> </i>because
I didn't have plan for the next year<i>. </i>Talk about scary moments. I
was considering getting on a first-name basis with the Noah Webster Librarians.
Thankfully, that didn't happen and they currently remain cheery faces spouting
Dewey Decimal System numbers on request.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Had a serious relationship.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Had a seriously terrible break-up (see #7). I have never used the
"Block" function on so many websites. Oof.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->9.<span style="color: #e06666; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Am officially <i><span style="color: #e06666;">"on the dating
scene."</span></i> Turns out that there
are a ton of people in Boston. Half of them are men. Three point six percent of
those men are Jewish (<a href="http://www.shalomboston.com/Default.aspx?tabid=116" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Shalom Boston</span></a>).
Of the 3.6 percent of men in Boston who are Jewish, about 70 percent are
involved Jewishly. About half of those are what I might call 'religious.' And
maybe I will find 10 percent of those men (those who are straight, mind you)
attractive. And of the 10 percent I find attractive, at least half of them will
already be married. And then maybe 50 percent of the Jewish, single men whom I
find attractive will find me attractive. And maybe I can have an interesting,
sustainable conversation with 20 percent of them. So, evidently, when I've
dated approximately ten people in Boston, it will be time to move to a
different city. But for now, I'm <i><span style="color: #e06666;">"on
the dating scene."<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://stilllearningsomethingnew.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/new-years-eve001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://stilllearningsomethingnew.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/new-years-eve001.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first couple on their first day on earth.</td></tr>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->10.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Have to work to create a social group.
(Unlike high school, college, and Pardes, where like-minded peers were built in
to my daily life, I have to find my people!! It's hard work, but it's rewarding.)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->11.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Choose my tefillah spaces based on kavannah
and religious comfort level, <i>giving a slight priority to kavannah</i>.
This means that since May (read: since Jerusalem), I have prayed in
numerous <span style="color: #6aa84f;">traditional <i>and
egalitarian</i> spaces</span>. At Ramah, it was
egalitarian by default. In Boston, <span style="color: #351c75;">sometimes <i>I
choose egalitarian services on Friday night</i> because the davening is
just better </span>and <i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">I want to sing and pray and be with other people who also
want to sing and pray!! </span></i>*kavannah = prayerful intention, which usually manifests as focus and
spirituality<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->12.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Wore my tallit since I was 12. The shema just
makes <i><span style="color: orange;">so much more sense</span></i> when you have tzitzit to kiss.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->13.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Made vegan, gluten-free black bean brownies!
Recipe <a href="http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-gluten-free-black-bean-brownies/" target="_blank">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->14.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Went to the wedding of one of my best
friends!! And was honored to be placed in the role of bridesmaid and spiritual
tefillah leader.<o:p></o:p></div>
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15. Got a pedicure (included in #14)<o:p></o:p></div>
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16. Have been asked over 50 times: <i><span style="color: orange;">"Are
you making aliyah?"</span></i><span style="color: orange;"> The answer is
still: <i>I DON'T KNOW</i></span>. I love Israel, especially
Jerusalem. I love the spirituality, the Torah, and the holiness. I love the
natural beauty. I love my brothers. I love kosher everything and city-wide
Shabbat and chag. But... I want to be high school English teacher. And I don't
want to teach English-as-a-second-language; I want to teach English literature.
And (most of) my family is in America. And so are my best friends. And I don't
want to forget about the Western world. And do I want my children to be
Israeli? (Is that a selfish question?) And will I ever feel Israeli? Or... am I
missing out on the "main event" of the Jewish people by staying in America?
If Israel exists, why shouldn't I enjoy it every day of my life?...........(to
be continued)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
17. Had a Skype siyyum.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
18. Am spending more than 40 hours a week with children and I LOVE IT. I love
them. Right now, other people's. One day, my own.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.christmasnewyearwallpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/New-Year-Cartoon-2-300x227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.christmasnewyearwallpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/New-Year-Cartoon-2-300x227.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yep, they're all perfect.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.christmasnewyearwallpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/New-Year-Cartoon-2-300x227.jpg"><span style="color: blue; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
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o:title="proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.christmasnewyearwallpapers.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F12%2FNew-Year-Cartoon-2-300x227"/>
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<td style="padding: 3.0pt 4.5pt 4.5pt 4.5pt;"><br /></td></tr>
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19. Am a guitar-playing song-leader!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
20. Wrote a short story in the style of Etgar Keret (stay tuned for this one).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm sure I could spend
hours sitting on my gray-blue carpet and thinking of firsts. And so could you. But lets move on; 2015 is coming and I have to be done by then. Here is Part II: </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<u>Continuations and Constants</u><o:p></o:p></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>My parents. I love them. My brothers. I love them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>My Skype dates. Ask any of my past and present roommates and you will know
that I spend, at the very least, an hour a week on Skype with my close
friends.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>My love of teaching<i>.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>My love of reading<i>.</i> And<i> </i>writing<i>.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>My love of <b><i>Torah.</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span><i><span style="color: blue;">My religious journey. It goes on</span></i><span style="color: blue;">.</span> Who am I in relation to Hashem? To other Jews? To
Israel? To the Torah? To <i>halacha</i>? To myself?...<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>The Israel question. See above.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Walking. <i><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Yoga.</span></i> Biking. Running. Hiking. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->9.<span style="font-stretch: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>Gilmore Girls (a huge thanks to my mom for sharing her Netflix account with
me. See #1).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->10.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>The attention I pay to apostrophes,
semicolons, periods, commas, dashes, hyphens and <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/10/economist-explains" target="_blank">interrobangs</a> (I always
like to play around: is it What?! or What!? or What <span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: 'MS Gothic';">‽</span><span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->11.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>My love of newspapers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->12.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>My drive to always be doing something productive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->13.<span style="font-stretch: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="LTR"></span>My inability to sleep when I am stressed or
excited.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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14.<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><i> TEA</i></span><br />
15. Peanut butter<br />
16. My <span style="color: red;">struggle with IBS</span> (gluten, dairy, meat, veggies, lunchtime...) and eating in general. If you
feel like guessing, then the answer is yes, I have a stomach ache today. I did
yesterday, too. And I will still have one tomorrow. <br />
17. I am still a <span style="background: yellow;">morning person!</span><br />
18. No smartphone. Although....we'll see how long that lasts. I have been
pondering it recently ...pondering...pondering...Uber...pondering...GPS...pondering...<br />
19. <i><span style="color: #6aa84f;">Introversion.</span></i><br />
20. <i><span style="color: blue;">Reflection</span></i>. For example, right now I am reflecting on this post and wondering if it
is so very self-centered of me to write a post about my year. What about
everyone else's year? What about the economy? What about global warming? What
about all the poor people I could be helping if I just stopped writing and did
community service instead? Sheesh.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
A Happy New Year to all!! (excluding my super
Zionist and/or religious acquaintances to whom January first means nothing).
Here's to more firsts, lasts, and continuations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://nuckingfutsmama.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/20090103-q-cartoon-gerald-the-sheep-12-days-day-seven-new-years-resolutions-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://nuckingfutsmama.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/20090103-q-cartoon-gerald-the-sheep-12-days-day-seven-new-years-resolutions-2.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And to realistic goals!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<br />
"I'm tired. Can I have a snack?"<br />
"No," I tell him, "It's the middle of tefillah."<br />
"That's what I was doing in the bathroom," he informs me, referencing his ten-minute absence. "I was having a snack."<br />
I pause, marveling at the simultaneous genius and stupidity of his plan. Genius: He found a place to secretly have a snack. Stupidity: He told me about it. I reply with a simple "Oh."<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.chocablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/IMG_1482.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.chocablog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/IMG_1482.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
He continues: "Sometimes I don't go the bathroom when I say I'm going to the bathroom. I just go in there and eat." He is still grinning at me, almost laughing, as if he has just told me the funniest joke. But thanks to the empty chocolate wrappers in his pockets and the smell of his breath, I know he isn't joking. Just being himself.<br />
<br />
Later in the day, he gave me one of his prized candies: a Ghirardelli milk chocolate with caramel filling. To keep me quiet? Or to simply illustrate the decadence of his secret snack? Who knows. Either way, it was delicious.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
More on food: A few weeks ago, we finally finished one chapter of Breishit so of course we had a <i>siyum</i> (a "finishing" party). Five kids from each section were selected to bring a snack. Five snacks seems like a lot, but at least two of the assigned students completely forgot their contributions (and then yelled really loudly when they realized that they had forgotten). So the amount of food was reasonable.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One kid decided to bring chips and salsa. Spicy salsa. I retrieved plastic cups from the cafeteria and offered the fiery-mouthers water. When I proposed the water solution to one kid in particular, he replied,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"No water. If I eat all of this without taking a drink, then I'm a man!" </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This kid is one of the cutest, sweetest, kindest and funniest eight-year-olds you will ever meet. When I was out sick, he asked how I was feeling when I got back. When he comes in late, he davens to himself to catch up. He invited me to his B'nei Akivah Shabbat group. He makes puns and jokes on a very high level. He has two high-school-aged brothers and hates being called "cute."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One day during art class (my time to purely have fun with the kids) he made some adorable comment and I told him, "You're so cute!" He replied,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"No I'm not! I'm a man! The salsa, remember?"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Oh yes, I remember. "Right. The salsa. You're not cute, you're ugly!"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
He grins. "Okay, that's better."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lowres.jantoo.com/food-drink-eating-eats_out-meal-chef-eat-12259640_low.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lowres.jantoo.com/food-drink-eating-eats_out-meal-chef-eat-12259640_low.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Except this child.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For the first time this year, we watched a movie in class. It is called "Lights" and I recall seeing it multiple times in my day school career. An animated film about Jewish assimilation in the time of Alexander the Great, its trademark features are dancing Hebrew letters and repetitive, tinny guitar (sitar?) music. It's a classic.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When a certain peppy child heard that we were watching a movie, he spouted the line, "I only watch </div>
movies that are farm-raised!" When I began laughing, he continued with the joke: "And organic! And whole wheat! And vegan! And nut-free!" Somehow, this energetic child understood our society's obsession with niche foods and applied it to movie-watching.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lunar.thegamez.net/lactose/lactose-free-dairy/free-lactose-free-wheat-free-dairy-free-sugar-free-nut-free-egg-1200x849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://lunar.thegamez.net/lactose/lactose-free-dairy/free-lactose-free-wheat-free-dairy-free-sugar-free-nut-free-egg-1200x849.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous octet of suburbia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This same child is from New York City. When we crossed the street to head to gym in the Upper School, I told him to wait for me before crossing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"But I'm a New Yorker!" he proclaimed. "I've crossed streets much busier than this! I can cross by myself!"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In addition, when he lingered picking out a snack and was almost late to a special program run by two Chabad-nicks from New York, he said,</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
"It's okay, I'll talk to them! I'm a New Yorker. They'll understand!"</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Understand what? I don't know. But I do know that when you're in Boston, people (even children) get really proud about being from New York.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
* * *</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We've moved on to our second chapter of Breishit, in which two angels tell Lot that God is going to destroy Sodom and he has to run away and <i>not look back</i>. Why not? Because he might experience schadenfreude. He might feel some sort of pleasure at the ill fate of his evil comrades, and God does not want that to happen. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time-out never looked so boring</td></tr>
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The teacher used a sibling analogy to help the kids grasp this concept. "When your sibling gets time-out, do you feel sad? Or do you feel good that they're in time-out and you're not?"</div>
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Absent-minded-topographer child answers: "I only get sad when my brother's in time-out, not my sister."</div>
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"Why do you get sad when your brother's in time-out?"</div>
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"Because he's really cute."</div>
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* * *</div>
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We're splitting up into reading groups, and one of my favorite girls scoots her chair right in next to mine. </div>
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"Did you teach before this year?" she asks me.</div>
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"Nope," I reply. (Can't you tell?)</div>
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"This must be the best year of your life!" she says.</div>
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Either this or when I was in third grade. The jury's still out. I'll keep you posted. :) Until then, enjoy Calvin and Hobbes!</div>
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Naomihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08827035517415364626noreply@blogger.com0