Thursday, September 17, 2009

She said what?

We all hear things throughout the day that cause us to pause. I'm a fairly outspoken person so when I pause I follow up by speaking. Yesterday I had to get some new headphones for Tina so she wouldn't take mine. While Amanda and I were checking out I heard two clerks talking about a night class.

Clerk #1: Got enough candy there?

Clerk #2: Just stocking up for the most boring class ever.

Clerk #1: What is it?

Clerk #2: History, it's killing me.

I paused for about 4 seconds, which in John time is a long time before speaking up against an outrage.

Me: Are you kidding me, the worst history class I ever took was better than the best math class and I should know because I took most of my math courses twice.

Clerk #1: (Surprised look on face) Have a nice day sir.

Me: Seriously, history at the very least should be an easy A even if it's not interesting to you. It's not like you have to carry the one or divide a fraction.

Amanda: Yeah!

I like it when she backs me up.

Clerk #2: I just don't like.

At that Amanda starts to drag me out of the store. She doesn't like her daddy arguing.

I know not everyone has my love of history. I've studied the Ottoman Empire, China's Boxer Rebellion, our own civil war, WWI and WWII, American history to a point of distraction and a great deal of European and Middle Eastern history. So I suppose I took offense at someone calling one of my passions boring.

I was one of those students in class who would read ahead in the books weeks at a time. I would read so much I would forget to do the work, but I'm much more disciplined now.

I hope clerk # 2 at least is willing to put in the effort to learn something. Even a boring history teacher can teach a student something if they are willing to learn.

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