Sometimes You Pay For Being So Hard Core
I can remember being in grade eight or nine and having to do a "goal assignment". I'm sure, for the teacher, it was just something to keep us busy while she took a little break and tried to escape the persistent migraine that seemed to be brought on by kids, but to us it was a little ridiculous. We were supposed to address a letter to ourselves, write about all the goals we have, where we wish to be in a year, and then we would receive the letter on the last day of school. Some made goals to simply pass, some drew pictures of joints and marijuana leaves, and others composed articulate pieces chronicling, in detail, their plans to master the art of horseback riding in the off days of their presidency in student council.
By the end of the year most of us had forgotten about the letter all together, let alone the actual goals we had set for ourselves. I opened mine up and read something along the lines of:
"Dear Carmen,
This class is a waste of time. There are no goals on this page and I sincerely hope you haven't changed and made any during the year. I hope the teacher thinks I'm following directions and doesn't read this. Once again, I'd like to reinforce that drawing a pot leaf on this piece of paper would have been more productive than what we've done all year. Hope the summer doesn't suck."
When I read it I was glad that I'd stayed so hard core. I was all woo hoo, you fought the power and turned the assignment into an outlet for your own creative cynicism!
Looking back now, I realize that making some god damn goals might not have been such a bad idea. Maybe I wouldn't have gotten a letter today informing me that I have $60 in over due library fees.
posted by lowercasecarmen at 10:05 PM
12 Comments:
seriously, who can be bothered with library due dates? can you appeal the fine? i always appeal everything.
but that's not the point. i tried to be hard core in middle school but was too afraid of being in trouble.
well done. nothing was more useless in those days than capp and the bogus material that came with it.
interesting point carrie, i never understood the whole afraid thing; i was raised arab style so the logic went more or less like this 'well... the teachers cant kick my ass in this country' the punishments were more of a reward really: removed from class.
carrie - I'm trying to figure out what I should write in my appeal to make me seem so meek and helpless to the iron fist of the library...
abdu - your theories on school were unique to say the least. I don't think there was a teacher in our school that wasn't completely intimidated by you. They'd never seen such nonchalont defiance, it was insane!
See, now that is another great example to why i think all books should be burned.
Knowledge comes from the heart.
Your ambiguous help is always welcome al.
Anybody have some suggestions on how I can get rich? Alright sweet, just let me know when you think of it.
carmen,
just pay it below $49, then you can still take out books anduse the library.
With a little imagination, this can cost you a mere $11 and an infrequent stream of embarassing letters.
You do not write that blasphemous name on my blog natalie! That woman only wants us all to be in pain.
I don't really understand dan? When I pay the fine do I just say uhh, yeah I'm only paying 49? I'm filing an appeal that says "...so I guess everyone that files these things is essentially one step away from panhandling on the street..."
oh wait, only $11? Explain this to my non been around the block too long you old gramps mind.
hilarious.
i remember we had to do something like that in grade one and the teacher was supposed to bring them to our graduation from highschool and she never did. i think about that all the time.
I had a HS english teacher that was going to mail us our letters 5 years after graduation. That would of ben 3 years ago. I moved, didn't get any letters.
So the way I figure the me that is me now doesn't even really exist to the me that was me then. Since one of us doesn't exist than I can't be a dissapointment to myself can I.
library fees are only a suggestion, until the police come to your house to collect.
by the way, if you don't pay your movie rental fees, you don't have to worry about it, but you probably won't ever go back in there to rent anything.
krista & itsreally small - I think the message here is clear, even when you make future plans they don't always happen. Thank your teachers for reinforcing that one.
ry - I don't think I'm at the police stage yet.
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