[phone conversation today]
Friend: "Maitresse, you just make time out of nothing. I don't know how you do it. You find amazing things for A to do - that cost little to nothing - that fill up his life and keep him from being bored. And the homeschooling!"
Me: "Erm...?"
How do I do it? I study, I teach, I blog, I raise a child, and now, I have an actual money-paying job.
I drink a lot of coffee. I sell out to Starbucks when there is no Mud truck around. I giggle often. I do not subscribe to dogma. Dogma will give you natural frown lines and low libido.
I watch kung-fu movies. I read comics. I notice things like "that aluminum paperclip is a non-magnetic metal and shouldn't be sucked into the tridium/fusion force field" while watching Spiderman 2 and then give pop quizzes for A based on moments like that. I read the paper. I quiz A on any given architectural column that we might be walking past (A: "Doric. That one's Ionic. And that one....um...I dunno." Me: "Byzantine. Don't worry, it wasn't even on our list."). I bump into celebrities and pretend not to notice. I watch more movies. And then I'll read the occasional book that has nothing to do with a Well-Trained Mind curriculum. And I give A lots and lots of hugs.
Is homeschooling for everyone? No. Have I been O.K. with my role as homeschooling mother this year, all of the time? Erm...no. I like to fit in to the mold that is "socially acceptable" to a good degree. Because in a world of Starbucks, there are very few Mud trucks around. And it's tough being a Mud truck.
Which reminds me of a time in my life when I still loved David Bowie but tried - for the sake of "fitting in" socially with my friends - to be a "Bauhaus only" girl. David Bowie, in that world, was passé. And then: My friend in London, Melanie, managed to visit Peter Murphy, the vocalist for Bauhaus - at home. I can't remember how or why she did it. But Melanie was wicked brilliant. She somehow managed to ask Peter if she could visit his Sanctus Sanctonium of Meditation: the loo. In Pete Murphy's loo, right up on his wall, the wall of the vocalist for Bauhaus, was a photo calendar of... David Bowie.
David Bowie!!!
It is okay to do what works for you. It is what the "socially acceptable parameters" folks secretly wish for themselves. I will read comics and watch kung-fu movies and bump into celebrities, while I accept the role of corporate slave. And I am homeschooling, regardless of what anyone thinks. Because David Bowie is in Peter Murphy's loo.
5 comments:
You go girl!
Great entry. This is my first time visiting since going on holiday and it's great to see your picture. I love it when people post their faces. It helps me think they're real people rather than perfect.
Sarah
Oh, you sparked some info buried deep in my brain to come forth.
Greek Columns (from a former architectural space planner):
Doric - oldest, simplest
Ionic - has roundish loopy things near top
Corinthian - grandly carved near top, lots of acanthus leaves, latest of the orders
Also review structural achievements of the ancient world including: column/lintel buildings of Egypt; Egyptian lotus columns; human body forms as columns and pilasters; and pediments of ancient Greece. As a Francophile, you'll really appreciate noticing the differences when you get into the Louis' furniture tastes, and Early American Federalist periods. With your Egyptian heritage, I'm sure you can dig up more info on an as need/interested basis for A. How cool - and yes, I agree, North Aftican is a bit of a cultural stretch for your little box to "X".
Thank you, and thank you! Although, erm...I am not Egyptian (although once in London someone told me I looked Egyptian)! : ) My own heritage is half Latin and half Scandinavian. Both my parents were immigrants to the USA.
I went "up" and read your post again about being Egyptian/North African. I sincerely apologize for speed reading with the total lack of comprehension! Argh!
Yes, it sounds like there was a need for that person to have a Kingfisher. However, in defense (and to show you where I was coming from), many Arabs identify with a different boundary system than what we typically see on maps. Sure, they still see the same countries as we do, but where we see mainly political differences, they identify with religious differences. In essence, many Arabs still culturally identify Arab land with the lands that have been conquered by Muslims since Mohammad. Sure most of North Africa is Muslim - but the closer one is to the Middle East, and if Muslim, the more they identify as being Middle Eastern rather than Egyptian.
As Americans, we tend be oblivious to this thinking. More and more, especially with hostages being taken and concessions made for their release (most recently, Egypt), we are learning to see the blurry lines that cloud state and religious following.
An assumption (it's a weak one not knowing this person): The person of Egyptian heritage is a generation or two removed from the country, and thus assimilated into America. I'll be this person isn't even aware of the blurred and inclusive cultural boundaries of her heritage.
...her heritage?
or,
...his heritage?
I didn't word that right. I'm self conscious of commenting because my writing skills are obviously inferior (and especially inferior to yours). I love your talent!
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