What a Drag

Confession: I enjoy the occasional cigarette. 

What I don't enjoy are the holier-than-thou lectures about smoking. 

Please note: I've never drank myself into oblivion (I rarely even drink socially anymore), I usually eat whole foods, I have like one diet soda a year, I work out, make most of my own meals and I floss regularly. For Pete's sake, I've lost 40 pounds (and counting.) The last person to lecture me didn't even remember his lecture the next day. 

So PLEASE JUST LET ME HAVE MY ONE CIGARETTE IN PEACE!!

Boycotting is Exhausting

It's hard to be truly consistent. 

It's easy to pick a hard-and-fast label to describe your stance on an issue, but really, I think and hope most people's thoughts are too nuanced for that. 

Let's take the abortion debate. Personally and politically, I will support a woman's right to choose but will probably never get an abortion myself and I do consider myself "pro-life". Do you consider yourself to be truly pro-life? Would you give back your blood diamonds? Stop indulging in conflict chocolate? Support business with fair labor practices? Relinquish your smart phones that utilize minerals mined in an area that is under rival gang control and extortion? If you are so pro-life, do you support the death penalty? Will you take in foster children and adopt a little person who needs a family? Support health care for all? I'm sick of the hypocrisy. Pro-life should not just be about the 38 week period between conception and birth. It should be about life at all ages, and all around the world. I vote pro-choice on a very narrow scope. I want to live pro-life on a broader platform. 

just let me vent

You know, its ok. It's just 16 years of experience in teaching. A bachelor of science degree in special education. And a masters in language and literacy development. And 100+ hours of professional development and specialized training in reading instruction. And dozens of hours learning about writing instruction with top coaches. Plus extra professional reading on the side, for funsies. So yeah, just go ahead and tell me how to teach reading to your child, your third child with reading difficulties. After that, I'll give some parenting tips. 

Dear Young Man

Dear Young Man on the SF public bus 38R,

First, I can call you "young man" since I'm almost a decade and a half older than you. 

Second, much respect for approaching the pretty young woman seated opposite you, with whom you seemed to have a tenuous connection (at best). You maintained the conversation well, asked good questions and didn't talk about yourself the entire time. You also kept the conversation going, despite her conspicuously mentioning her boyfriend. Way to go!

But, you should have stopped when she slipped the earbud back in her ear, appeared to text furiously and made less and less eye contact with you. 

Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em.

Better luck next time!

-your Moyfriend. 

there are moments of grace

thanks to the IKEA delivery guy who gingerly traced my apartment number on the wall so i could confirm the order, for his miming of furniture functions to determine placement in the apartment (his pantomime for bed was perfect) and for his helpful pointing out of the functional IKEA illustrations on the boxes. (bless the swedes.) this delivery guy must've been a special educator in his past life.

no thanks to his workmate who confirmed that repeating and nearly yelling the exact same statement three times in a row is not helpful.