One of my moms favorite quotes was, “marching to the beat of your own drum”, I wonder if she ever knew from whence it came?
We use quotes and say things all the time that I know we don’t know the full context of or original source of.
Two of my favorites…
“Ahhh, Nimrod, The Mighty Hunter” ~ Bugs Bunny
(Bugs is actually given credit for changing that into a negative phrase that we still use today as he applied it to Elmer Fudd, but it’s from the Bible and Nimrod was a mighty hunter before The Lord)
“Do not go quietly into the night… rage… rage… against the dying of the light” ~ Dylan Thomas
(I changed it a bit but it’s real close, I said that at a ball game once and the guy next to me was a school principle and he laughed at me for quoting it at a ballgame but it was appropriate, and I said, “I know stuff”)
Moms quote comes from Henry David Thoreau’s ‘Walden’. I’ll have to add that to my reading list.
I think you’ll enjoy this edition of Mom’s P.A.Ls (papers & letters), watch for her quote.
LeAnn F. Bosquez
An Open Letter to New London, this 18th day of Feb. 1990
Kids are amazing, they teach you a lot if you just listen.
My kid decided in Sept. of 1989 to change the ‘i’ in her name to two ‘ee’s. Her high school teacher said, “Spell it with an ‘i’ or take an ‘F’ for attitude.
Everyone loves this kid, I mean everyone! She got a mouth, no doubt, but if she has an attitude we should all be so lucky. I’m prejudice because I’m her mom but – “me thinks me hears a different drummer.”
“Let me talk to the teacher,” I say.
“Mother,” she says, “I’ll handle it!” She’s fifteen – I die a little and call her counselor. “Let her handle it,” he says.
Everyday she does her work – everyday the teacher reads her name with two ‘ee’s and gives her an ‘F’.
Semester is over, she transfers to another class, another teacher and brings home a glowing report and a ‘C’. The kid says, “Next time it’ll be a B.” I believe it, she’s stilling spelling her name with two ‘ee’s.
She took an ‘F’, she has enough credits and time to make up this 1/2 credit she needs to get into college. She knows where she’s going. Look out Law Enforcement, here she comes.
The point?
How many kids has this teacher broken because of two ‘ee’s? How many fifteen year olds can stick to their guns and have the time to make up even 1/2 a credit. Is this teacher a jerk or what?
Me?
I owe the teacher a big Thank You for that ‘F’ and I owe a big Thank You to the Counselor for his advice.
My daughter is more sure of herself, stronger, wiser and more determined than she was in September and…
THE DRUM IS GETTING LOUDER!
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