Saturday, February 2, 2008

School Daze

I formulate blog posts every day at school, walking in the halls. About cliques, teenagers, culture, technology, and more. By the time I'm here, at home, ready to post...I can't recall what it is I was so fascinated by. But here's a piece:
  • teen flirting. girl sits on the bench, one ear piece (ear bud? headphone?) connected to her IPod, in her ear, obsessively opening and shutting her cell phone to check for texts, I assume. boy stands about 4 feet away, pacing, also checking his phone, opening and shutting it, either checking the time or for texts. they talk nervously in broken sentences but have so much between them...the gadgets...just sit down and talk to each other!
  • cliques: I often daydream that my kids will be in the band. in a big school like this one, the band is its own thing. they are all band geeks and I LOVE it. the hubs surely dreams of his future athletes, I want mine in the swing choir, jazz band, or school drama club.
  • hormones: I remember last spring thinking that it was amazing that all of the teenagers sort of lost their minds and thought every thought from their groins. Even though we are in the dead of winter, I see it happening already. they are coupling off, staring dreamily at each other, longing for one more minute of passing time to make out.
  • cliques. the adult kind. I'm more aware of the coaches suddenly. and more judgmental about them than I knew. they really are the jocks from high school. the boys grew up to be men and they still travel in packs. so giddy with their games. I think I envy that.

That's all I can recall for now. When I walk the halls, it's so much more poetic in my mind. Complete with punctuation and capitalization. Something happens between there and home. I can say this, I really love being at school. There's something about the atmosphere, the learning, the clubs, the cliques. It is exactly where I want to be.

Perhaps next week, when I walk the halls, I'll be able to remember those articulate thoughts that race through my mind. I feel lucky to work in a place that inspires me so. Even if I'm too drained afterwards to recall.

16 comments:

LoriAnn said...

Oh I do that, too. I think about stuff all day long that I want to blog about, but I made a deal with myself that no matter what I would not check my blog or work on my blog during the word day. It was a free time only thing. So, by the time I get home, start the dinner, go through the night routine, etc. by the time I sit down to actually blog...I got nothin'!

Like the changes to your blog! Was the family picture done this summer on your trip to Colorado? I seem to remember reading something about that.

Mimi in the Midwest said...

Hey,OM your kids will surprise you! You can't even dream what they'll be more than you can dream...so....be ready for a fairy tale that ends with happily ever after (with drama in between).

thirtysomething said...

HEy, I do the same thing! I will be doing something during the day and think to myself, what a good post that would make. Well, one look at my blog and how infrequently I have time to actually write tells you what happens to all those great ideas.

I agree with you about kids today and all their gadgets..yikes.

Girlplustwo said...

it's amazing how many things are bloggable - the things we witness and don't think to actually talk about come across so well. like this.

Anonymous said...

I do the very same thing...usually as I am trying to go to sleep. Somewhere during the night the thoughts float away. Isn't it funny how high school really hasn't changed very much.

Jenifer said...

Is it sort of like a do-over? You get to go to high school as an adult wishing you knew then what you know now.

Makes me want to walk the halls too.

Aliki2006 said...

Ditto for me, too. It's hard to keep those thoughts straight! But I love your enthusiasm and love for your teaching, it shines on through!

Jaelithe said...

Hey thanks for stopping by my blog. I'd be happy to hear any thoughts you might have on the election. It is a tough decision between the two.

nikkis30by30 said...

I often fantasize about what my kids will do in high school. Addison in band and drama, Zack in football, Jenna.... just being Jenna. LOL. And then... Zack will say something like "I'm not gonna play football, they will hit me in the head!!" And I it all goes south.

What will they be? We won't know till we get there. However.... I am excited for the journey!!!

Katie Brenneman said...

I think there should be creativity breaks at work. If I could just have an hour in the morning, to do whatever creative thing has been brewing in my head, I'd be great! Of course once you accomplish that, there's room for more ideas anyway. Its a vicious creative circle!

Katie Brenneman said...

I think there should be creativity breaks at work. If I could just have an hour in the morning, to do whatever creative thing has been brewing in my head, I'd be great! Of course once you accomplish that, there's room for more ideas anyway. Its a vicious creative circle!

Beck said...

I compose fantastic blog posts in my head at night while I'm falling asleep and then when I wake up, poof they're gone.

The Mom said...

Hey - you're living my life ;) LOL Life with teenagers certainly is interesting, and I have loved all the highschool dynamics for my older daughters. It really has been interesting to see who asks who to which dance, who is a drama clubbie, who is a jock, etc... We're not that athletic, although my daughter who is a sophmore played varsity soccer this year. Both my girls sing in the acappella choirs and love it. The kids in the choir and band programs are GREAT! I just love them all. I know our school has it's share of seedier parts, but honestly, I have loved experiencing it with my girls.

Now, my boys - short, smart, not so socially savvy, I'm not sure how that's going to go...

You always have dreams and visions of your kiddos as they grow, and I think that often they surprise you, and sometimes do what you think they're going to do, but more often than not, they become what they're meant to be, and begin to live their own dreams :)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!!

Swistle said...

That must be so crazy, to still be around all the high school stuff. It's such a strange time of life.

Mimi said...

Oh, I really like this post. It's kinda dreamy but really sharply observing at the same time. If we could just corral all those thoughts we have ....

NotSoSage said...

Pretty captivating as it is, I think. I am always waxing on in my head about teen life when I am sitting at the back of the streetcar at 3:30 in the afternoon. I get this wistful feeling that is sharpened by sadness...both that they sense so acutely every jibe, glance, slight, twinge of love and that they will grow out of it, eventually. Unless they become a coach, apparently. ;)