Put that in Your Pipe and Celebrate!!!

December 3, 2009 by Black Belt Mama · 1 Comment
Filed under: Back in the Classroom

There is NOTHING more exciting than watching an idea come to fruition. Last week, I sent an email inquiring about the Jazz Fest in our area. One week later, our country club is a venue and we're featuring an awesome band. It is going to be awesome, and I feel like it is just the beginning of all the new and exciting things that are going to happen at the club. I'm hoping it's the first of many cool things I can help to get going at the club. It is certainly a week to celebrate, with the Jazz Fest actually happening for us and it being the last week of class at the university where I teach.

Today was my last day of class. When I arrived on campus, I had students who were still putting their writing portolio's together. Unbelievable. I actually had to raise my voice on the last day of class. Truly unbelievable.

My speech class showed up and was more prepared. During the last day of each semester for my speech class, I allow my students to create impromptu speech questions for me. I review them, discard the inappropriate ones like "which one of your students would you date and why?" and do some impromptu speeches for them.

This semester I answered the question about my most embarrassing moment (which I'm just not prepared to discuss on the blog yet-who knows if I ever will be ready to share that horror?). I also answered the question about who my favorite Flyers hockey player is: Rick Tocchet. No brainer there. Finally, I answered the question, "If you could smoke weed with one of your students who would it be and why?"

Shocked that I received that question? Yeah, so was I.

When I told them I was going to answer it, there were nervous giggles all around; but they didn't get quite what they expected. I told them that I wouldn't smoke weed with any of them because I don't smoke weed. Then I used it as a public service announcement to tell them that I thought they were all amazing people and that I truly hoped they would quit smoking weed since it's clear so many of them already are doing so. I said I didn't understand why any of them would feel it necessary to use drugs to have fun. I told them that in my experience, I've seen weed make people act stupid, that it would probably make them lazy and dumb, like the kid who did an impromptu speech in class a few weeks ago who actually said the reason he was failing all his classes is because he's been smoking too much weed. I also told them that if they are education or nursing majors, they better knock it off now. Getting caught once will ruin their future careers.

When I was finished, I reviewed my main points and wrapped up my little speech. They sat there stunned and obviously thinking. I'm glad I gave them something to think about on the last day, which is typically a wrapping-up-loose-ends-day.

I should have concluded my speech with "stick that in your pipes and smoke it."

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The Great Divide

December 1, 2009 by Black Belt Mama · 4 Comments
Filed under: Board of Directors

On Sunday, I spent almost the entire day at the country club, helping to decorate for the holidays. We put up four Christmas trees, yards and yards of lit garland all around the ballroom, and decorated the bar room. When we were finished I was exhausted and I'm pretty sure my surgeon would not have approved of my ladder climbing. However, when you're the youngest one, the job sort of falls to you.

Decorating was interesting to say the least. There were several board members there who are pretty obviously sour about a younger gal like me getting elected. One of them couldn't stop telling me about the 12 years she's been on the board and the hard work it is to be a board member. She was referring to my dragging a Christmas tree across the floor for her. She was also talking about how it's difficult to be a board member when you have young children because they have activities and how younger people just don't have the time. I think I prefer it when they're so sour that they won't even talk to me.

Needless to say, I set the tree up and went to hang out with the men. I was trying to stay polite and I was about at my limit. The men don't seem to mind me very much. In fact, they were more than happy to steady the ladder for me so I could hang the garland at the very top of the wall. At one point, I drove across the street to get some pipe cleaners to fasten to the garland. It will make hanging up the garland next year a piece of cake and perhaps there won't be as much bickering.

Good God the bickering.

When I returned, one of the guys had already told everyone there what a genius I am and how I had such great ideas. He whispered to me when I came back, "This better work. I've been bragging about you." I'm happy to report it worked, perfectly.

I realized a couple things while I was over there decorating. First, I don't think there's any way these older women will ever like me. It seemed to me that they spent much of their time discussing my decorating and trying to supervise me. Some of the guys told me they were talking about me in the other room. It didn't stop me from only hanging six bows on the bar instead of the standard eight. It also didn't stop me and another younger woman from hanging Christmas balls from the garland surrounding the bar. They've never done that before. I'm pretty sure people were about to have a heart attack, but it didn't stop us. One thing they'll learn about me quickly is that I don't back down and I don't like being told what to do. I'm no baby. I figure they'll hate me worse after a couple meetings. If they give me too much trouble, I'll start bringing my 92-year old grandmother with me to the club. She'll give them the smackdown alright. I'm like her favorite person on the planet. Scratch "like;" I am the hands down favorite.

Second, there is much tension at the club between warring factions. I decided that I need to do my best to stay unbiased and objective. I need to look at each decision that comes up individually.

And finally, there is so much to be done, and it is not going to be easy. When you're the youngest person on the board, I think it makes it that much more difficult to convince people you know what you're talking about. I'm going to do it though, or I'll go down trying.

Scratch that "trying" business. I'm just going to do it.