It's Brisk Baby!

Finally the anticipated day has arrived. The beginning of the Christmas vacation. I specifically say "christmas vacation" because that is purely what it is. Signs around the school read Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We have no politically correct inclinations. We are a christian society and proud of it. You can imagine my apprehension in breaking the news to my students that I am Jewish. It went fairly well this year. We were watching a small video about Kwanzaa and then another about Channukah. I became dismayed when my kids talked through the videos. I sternly explained how important it is to appreciate other people's cultures because you never know when you may be offending someone. Then I dropped the bomb. Naturally they had questions. Cameron remarked that I didn't look Jewish. I won them over when I explained that Channukah was eight nights long which resulted in eight nights of presents. You see, you have to relate to kids on their level. They didn't understand that I didn't believe in Jesus as the massiah. Without going into a lengthy diatribe I merely explained the similarities between Christianity and Judaism, and moved on to another topic.

Tonight I had the priveledge of attending the annual faculty Christmas party. We did not celebrate the occasion at Bull's Corner a local bar, like last year. This year we enjoyed a feast of home cooked dishes consisting of gumbo, fried turkey, cream cheese and bacon crescents, among other various goodies. The blatant segregation between the black and white teachers that was prevelent last year, seemed nonexistent this year. I gathered my teachers manuals and left in style.

After a night of rest and relaxation, I will embark on a cavalcade of coffee shop trip to prepare for next semester. I intend to be hard at work for a smooth spring. I will do my best to be organized, even investing in one of those large desk calendars to fill with excessive long term planning.

Tragically, the new friends that I am excited to spend time with have all gone home for the holidays, but I am not amiss. I will be ready for they're return.

On a final note, my class passed today's principal's challenge. The students read a total of 85 books in less than two hours. Kudos to them! Also I found out that the St. John Police chief has recently been busted for selling drugs across the street from my school. What a sad state of affairs.

I feel good. Even with the cold weather, I myself feel brisk, like Lipton Iced Tea.

Oh...and I have a secret crush. Love is in the cold air.

Comments

[Anne]

yay!! comments now work!! :-D

and a secret crush! what a juicy topic. or, non-topic. crushes are much more fun when they are secret. that's a perfect thing to fuel a fortnight of planning and a cavalcade of coffeeschool. i need the same energy, myself!

all is more or less well here. fighting the blues, behind on schoolwork, good professional decisions. getting ready for a trip to kentucky dec 28-jan 1, to visit my gf's family.

i think when it comes to christmas, it's not so much about what you believe, but about your degree of christmas compliance. for instance, i believe all the jesus stuff, but i'm a hardcore grinch, and i almost always just barely make the christmas compliance mandatory minimums. christmas is the time of year that i most want to be a jew. there is a catholic man here at work who married an observant jewish woman and thus celebrates the jewish holidays. and we have this running joke about how the jews should run a christians' rescue mission on christmas. drive around with cell phones and a van, taking hotline calls and rescuing christians from their oppressive and dangerous family situations, and dropping them off at movie theaters or hotel bars to while away their festive toxins in peace.

this was before i discovered alcoholics anonymous and their marathons. you can go have good clean fun with a bunch of recovering alcoholics any major holiday of the year, because they know people need to escape. here in charlottesville, they're setting up starting at noon on christmas eve, and going straight through till 5 pm on christmas night. i have the meeting list. i'm going to try to make an early meeting on christmas day, maybe a midnight meeting on christmas eve. those people know how to party!

it's christmas! give me the jews, the recovering drunks, some buddha's delight and some popcorn!

glad you're feeling good, garrett. i know i don't know you, but i have worried the eensiest bit about you sometimes! triumphing or struggling, you're on my nola hero list for sure.