Teaching

I have been blessed with some wonderful teachers in my life, from family (parents, aunts, friends) to music teachers of violin and piano and guitar.

Also history of NY State, world art history professor who also taught Renaissance and Reformation, my dear Fr. Cap with Sociology and his infamous Barbie lecture. That alone was worth the price of college.

My aunts are retired English teachers but we moved away before I got to learn from them in high school. It’s OK, I’ve learned from them my entire life and I’m not afraid of them as their students were!

Steven G and I both had parents that taught us how to read early. The school wanted to throw away the old curriculum and teach phonics instead. Both our parents rebelled so we were reading at the 4th and 5th and above grade level at age six and were sent to read by ourselves at the back of the room while ITA was taught to the others.

It was cool for a girl to be smart back then, before puberty. I always wonder what happened to Steven G as I was growing up in another state I was repeatedly asked to dumb it down, let guys win at ping pong, don’t ever be smarter than your date.

I’m not smarter than my permanent date for 12 years, simply because he is a mathematical genius. But he is someone I can talk with at the breakfast and dinner table and have a real conversation. Imagine that.

On another matter, lessons learned. This weekend is the 10th anniversary of Queer Eye, which I loved. Here’s what I tried to post on Slate’s new site:

I loved that show! I’m a straight woman with many gay friends and it made it OK. My husband lived in a man cave when we met. Now we have furniture (thanks, Thom) and there are no individual string cheese wrappers on the floor. Instead he opines on whether he prefers the four-year or five-year cheddar! And I was his intervention, not QE. Thanks anyway, Ted. We’re getting him fitted for some bespoke shirts this weekend, Carson. No suits or ties, so the shirt must make a statement.

Yes, those are teachers as well. Thanks Fab Five! In the interest of education, at Whole Foods yesterday I picked out the strangest veg I’ve ever seen, a black radish. He loves pummelos and star fruit and loves something new so we’re always being edjumicated. Ha! Thought you’d like that one.

We continue on a path of literature, writing, cooking, engineering and trying to learn something new every day. Thanks to my lifelong teachers for making me want to learn through mid-life and senior years. Cheers and have a great day, Dee