It seems I usually write something on Christmas, in the form of one of those Facebook "Notes." Those are so old fashioned and not nearly important enough, because I am now a blogger. That makes me at least twice as but no more than five times more important than I was before. But then all this shit happened, and I decided I wasn't gonna to write. But then one thing in particular happened, and I'm also listening to Shakira and Celia Cruz and the Bangles so I'm practically dripping with sentimentalism, and I've been playing NHL14 Hockey on the PS3, and my hands are drawn to the keyboard like so many moths to the flame, and I'm eating this delicious gouda cheese (I f***ing love gouda cheese) with pretzels and a caffeine free Coca Cola, so I'm gonna write.
Just one disclosure: I'm not really SURE the one thing that happened, happened. I mean, I'm pretty sure, and for your, the readers' (all 8 of you--I've gained one) sake, I recommend you ignore the disclosure, and just go on assuming it happened, because it will (probably) make more sense that way. But I try to cover all the angles....
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Of course, even without this thing, my Christmas season has been lovely. I make a big hugabaloo about the Holidays, but really, there is very little for me to be unhappy about. Sonia does all the grunt work (willingly, I emphasize) so I worry not a wit about presents. I get two weeks off work, much more than about 80% of the working population. That's what allows me to stay up late, drink Coke, and listen to Jewell. For the first time, I believe, ever, we are home for BOTH Christmas and Thanksgiving. I've missed seeing my family, but it is certainly nice to nest, especially in this freaking weather. Plus, my sister and her family were here last night and today, and it was great. (Guns n' Roses' "November Rain" now fomenting nostalgia). As usual, my wife provided an excellent bounty for my children and myself. And my sister-in-law provided a wonderful dinner.
This is all wonderful but becoming sort of par for the course. And I didn't think I had it in me to produce another original, illuminating piece of prose for this holiday. But it's funny, I just checked Facebook for--well, God knows what reason, we just do it, it's akin to breathing these days, no?? And I was jolted out of my complacency.
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For those of you who don't know, I traveled to Spain a few years ago for what was optimistically called a "Course for teachers of Spanish in other subjects"--i.e., teaching science, social studies, math, etc. in Spanish to non-Native Spanish speakers. It was two weeks and I learned a ton, although much of it had nothing to do with Spanish teaching, but with me meeting the world (or at least Europe). (For more information, see a Facebook note from August 13, 2010). Of course, at the end of the session, we all exchanged Facebook info and swore we'd stay tight. And we did, for a while. Human nature. As the visceral memories fade due to time and distance, it's not nearly as important.
There was one particular woman with whom I bonded. We kept the correspondence up for quite a time...a couple times a month for a while, then once a month, pretty soon a quick heads up when one of us had a couple extra minutes. We had a common interest in writing--she writes well, I pretend to write. Since last summer, we've maybe talked twice, maybe a cursory "How are things" or a smartass remark to something the other wrote.
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Soraya plays now. For all your Spanish speakers, this is a little known woman who grew up in New Jersey of Colombian parents and simply drives straight to the heart. Anyway, I was getting ready for a snack tonight, and thought I'd check out the FB real quick before settling in for a book. And it was the weirdest timing--I saw a picture of my friend, with her husband, and she appears to have a baby bump, and there's baby booties on the Christmas tree, and he has her hand on her tummy. So I'm pretty sure she's expecting (disclosure applies here, and quite probably loss of a friendship if I'm wrong). And I felt this completely unexpected wave of happiness washing over me, it was literally 10 minutes before Christmas day ended in Iowa, and things sort of clicked. She's probably real busy with this change in her life, and I thought "So, this is why I haven't heard anything in so long. She's getting ready for the biggest moment of her life". No matter how many times it happens, a loved one's expecting never loses that impact--that hope, that joy, that happiness that a real good person gets the chance to make his or her impact on another little life, even if (and maybe especially if) the person is a long ways away, and you hear very little from them. A special Christmas gift, from 7000 miles away.
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Sheryl Crow. "Strong Enough". Lie to me...I promise, I'll believe...Lie to me....Just please, don't leave.... And the hits just keep on coming....
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So since I decided if I'm gonna write anyway, I've gotta tell this one story that is, to me, Christmas.
The eight regular readers of this column know that I have certain problems with the way education is practiced nowadays. In particular, I have an issue with the way certain practices can lead to situations in which we view students as test score numbers rather than children growing up. Now, as a credit to my colleagues, this is something that is minimalized in my school. But still I don't like where it's headed.
I have a student. She has been selected for reading intervention. Does she need it? That is an open question. Is she benefitting? Another question worth exploring. But try as I might, I struggle doing the appropriate paperwork and keeping up the checks I am expected to do. I know she's behind, but she's also a normal ten year old; she likes keeping up with her friends and likes to tell me I'm not cool (all in good fun--I think....). I can't help but think instruction, not multiple assessments, may do her more good than said assessments....
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On Friday, the last day before Christmas Break, I received a call from my wonderful office manager, Pamela Romero. Seems that my student's brother, off for basic training at Ft. Benning, Georgia, was making a surprise visit home for the holidays. He wanted to surprise her at school. The young man wore his fatigues and walked in while my student was swapping candies with a classmate. She looked up, saw first her mom, wondered what was going on, and then jumped out of her seat and bear hugged her brother.
Fuck numbers. That's a little girl who misses her brother. And I can't think of a better image of Christmas, and I hope I keep it in my head for a long, long time.
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"Green Eyes" by Coldplay will, more than likely, close out my evening. I came here with a load...and it feels so much lighter, now I met you....and honey you should know....that I could never go on without you....
The Green Eyes have been different things to me, at different times. Tonight, they'll be the spirit of Christmas, the spirit of every day, Them Sheeyits, seeing me to bed on my 37th Christmas, and promising that I'll feel lighter if and when I give my will over to them, instead of imposing my world on the world.
Besos minha gente...la quiero mucho....Mark
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