Yesterday was "Field Day," at my children's school. What's Field Day? It's a bunch of grade schoolers in color coordinated t-shirts, eating drippy popsicles, running relay races and playing games. WHAT is Field Day? Only the pinnacle of what would otherwise be an anti-climactic last week of school. It is general amok-ness. Kids love it.
Field Day is also when parents get to spend the entire day rubbing elbows with faculty and staff, mingling with other volunteer parents and generally embarrassing the shit out of their older child (who HATES that you are volunteering) while trying to shake off the younger one (who is ECSTATIC and wants to introduce you to all their friends).
I also find if fun to confuse young minds with plausible lies about myself. After painting what was possible the 50th unicorn on a chubby cheek, I started telling the second graders that I trained and rode unicorns professionally. I'd blame the heat but it was all me. It's precious and only slightly mean to lie to little kids. They are so gullible and adorable and I like the idea of them imagining me wrangling and soaring through the air on a mythical creature.
Sun and fun; my kids came home tired and sun kissed. I loved being part of this memory for them yet something just KILLED part of it for me. At the end of the day, I was fishing junk out of the Spawn's shorts pocket when I found a green ribbon that said, "If you had FUN you WON."
BULLSHIT.
I never tire of complaining about the way the schools treat kids these days. Nobody wins? Bullshit. Somebody does win. There IS always a winner. Kids need to know that sometimes they are going to lose and that is does suck. No letter grades? God forbid, right?
When I was a kid, losing just made me work harder. I feigned happiness for the winner but secretly dreamed of kicking their ass at the next competition. I was a competitive swimmer, gymnast and dancer. I have a shit-ton (which is ¼ of a fuck-load) of ribbons and there are NOT all blue. Red= second, white= third, yellow=fourth and the dreaded PINK for fifth make up the rainbow of colors that helped make me who I am today.
I learned to work hard, to be part of a team, to win AND lose graciously. I am a fighter! I do what it takes to compete and understand that I am NOT a victim. I won't always be the best but good, GODDAMMIT I'm trying to be. I am accountable.
I showed Spawn the crap I confiscated from his pockets, which included a wrinkled up, green Field Day ribbon. I asked him what he wanted me to do with his major award. At the risk of revealing my high tolerance for grade schooler potty-mouth I'll share his answer; "You can throw it out. It's total bullshit, right?"
"Right," I said, and I plan to throw it out but not before I use it to wipe my butt. First, though, I took a picture of it and wrote this insane rant because now I feel a LOT better so THANKS.
03 Jun, 2011--
Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/moms-who-drink-swear/2011/06/if-you-had-fun-you-wonnot.html
~
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com
Sharing is Sexy !
About the Author
0 komentar: