A Little Complaining Never Hurt Anyone

Yesterday I attended my grandpa's funeral service. A loving and rather funny individual, my grandpa always seemed to be in a good mood. Only when he was hooked up to machines or under the influence of multiple dosages of a myriad of drugs did he ever cross over into an unpleasant nature. All in all, I believe my grandpa loved life and lived it the best way he could.

Of course losing him caused me to evaluate my own life because death is the best way to remind a person of her mortality. I like what I found when I started to look at my life. I try hard to do the right thing, laugh often (usually at myself), and let go of the bad. Sometimes I get frustrated and complain a little, but I feel that is a necessary facet of my humanity. However, I am appalled at the current trend of Facebook statuses that end with "FML."

Ask any teenager what those three letters mean, and they will be able to tell you without hesitation. That truly scares me. I remember how life and death everything could seem when I was a teenager. I also recall how unjust the world felt. That's because, like all teenagers, I was selfish and stupid.

Usually I find that hideous "FML" tag following a status where the teen didn't get his way or is being asked to do something for someone else without a "reward." Basically, the teen is being asked to be a decent human being.

I am disturbed because these kids don't know what they are really wishing upon themselves by wanting to f*** their lives. I find it hard to believe that whatever injustice has been done is worth forfeiting life. I cannot imagine that a teenager would want to give up his life because he has to do homework. This means that this tagline is being used rather flippantly. I don't like that teens are okay with using this kind of language and sentiment to define their lives. Why can't they look at what they do have? They have, God willing, years of fun and happiness and success and love and memories to build!

My grandfather fought degenerative heart issues up until he passed away. I promise he never once would have wanted to f*** his life. I want to post the comment "Shame on you for insulting one of the greatest gifts God has given you" every time I see "FML."

Now imagine how seeing "FML" at the end of one of my adult friends' posts, who should know better, makes me feel.


Complaint number two (then I'm done being negative I swear) centers around a billboard I saw the other day.

As I was driving down the highway, I saw a billboard sponsored by Texas Teachers that read "Want to teach? When can you start?" Gee, thanks for slapping me in the face. As one of my friends put it, "Any retard can teach." Even though I hate using the word "retard" in such a way, that is exactly how the billboard made me feel.

Why do I pour my heart and soul into my classroom and my students? Because it is what God has planned for me to do. Never once have I doubted this. My gift is to educate students and to make sure they are ready to conquer the world if they need to. It infuriates me when I find teachers who don't feel this way. I want them to stop wasting their time and ruining the students' lives.

That's probably the biggest reason I hate that billboard. Just because a person is educated doesn't mean he can be handed a teaching certification and shoved in a classroom. There are teachers who have been certified and in the profession for years and don't belong there.

In true Lydia fashion, I completely stuck my foot in my mouth when a friend of mine told me that Texas Teachers is the alternative certification program he is using to become certified (note--he's the same friend that so eloquently summed up my feelings about the billboard). After some quick back peddling, I tried to convince him that he definitely belongs in a classroom (though, since that conversation he has contemplated teaching in a private or boarding school setting--this would of course rob many worthy public school children of a strong English education--and yes, if he's reading this I hope he is feeling very, very guilty).

To sum it all up: Thank you Texas Teachers for making my job seem so easy a monkey could do it.


Okay, no more negative posts for a while:).