Children's Lit. Post #1

As I mentioned in a previous post for my Children's Lit. class we're going to be doing weekly blog posts which I will share on here. This weeks topic was "a book that has influenced you". Here is my post:

_________________________________________________________________

A book that has influenced my life is The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Anne Brashares. The first story of a five book series is about four best friends who find a pair of jeans at the thrift store that magically fit each of them, despite their varying body shapes and sizes. The plot follows each of the girls through their summer vacations as they embark on different adventures, and soon realize they need the pants to help give them the confidence to face a struggle.

This was the first book I can remember being totally consumed by. I can remember lying out in the sun, reading that book and being so wrapped up in the story that it felt as though these girls were real and were my friends. The fact that three of my closest friends had also read this book made the Travelling Pants girls an even bigger reality because we would chat about the stories as if they were girls who lived just down the road.

Leisure reading is one of my favourite activities, and generally I do get into the story and think about the characters and consider their options in the plot, but The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants provided such a positive reading experience that I feel I should give credit to Anne Brashares for my love of leisure reading.

Learn more about The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

__________________________________________________________________________________

What I didn't mention in my post for Children's Lit. was exactly how real the Sisterhood became to me and my friends. Although we couldn't find the same pair of jeans to fit us each, we had the personalities of the four girls in the story. Our bond (for a while) was inseparable, our first year away from home we rented a house together and had some of the most fun of our lives. As we grew into adults and explored our different paths, we found we were headed in different directions and although these memories are a little bitter-sweet, they will forever be fond and vivid.

To the Sisterhood!

(Although we called ourselves the "Fab Four")

Summer 2006 (L-R): Meghan (Bridget), Emma (Tibby), Emily (Carmen), Katrina (Lena)

Into the Thick of Things

Not even two full weeks into the Winter semester and I already feel bogged down and behind on my schoolwork. It's quite a depressing feeling, once you expect to start fresh for the new year, all determined to keep on task and be prepared for every class.

The plan has quickly become a fleeting image, a mission so impossible that I have (for a brief moment) considered deserting my dream/goal of becoming a teacher and just relying on some dead-end job just so I can reclaim my life. Not that I'd expect to have a life with a dead-end job -- having to work countless hours to make ends meet...

But technically that is what I'll be doing for the next twelve weeks, working countless hours to make ends meet. This involves reading until my eyes roll to the back of my head, avoiding catastrophic fights with group-mates, cringing while my instructor emails me saying she "missed [me] in class today", when I was in fact there and she actually thanked me for coming to class and called me by name as I handed her my name card on my way out the door.

Have I reached the end of my rope? I should be able to handle the course load, we're each expected to do the same five courses and pull through it... But it's just SO much! I've had a semester a couple of years ago, full course load, expected to read a combined 17 novels, plus text books for two additional courses. I managed to get through 13 of the novels, reading every spare minute. But all of that seems more tolerable, after all, who doesn't love a good read?

The real stick in the mud about this semester is that at least four of my five courses expect us to have read at least one chapter of the text, possibly two, plus extra articles, write journal reflections, blog posts (which I may share once we get into it), and other written assignments FOR EVERY CLASS.

It just seems so impossible, especially if you're a slow reader as I am. And what about a life? I don't even do much... I don't party like a rockstar, I go to bed early(ish), I watch movies, read books, and hang out with Tim. That's my normal life, and it has been re-written with readings by Nancy Maynes & Jennifer Straub, some Palmer dude, and a Clark guy... (that's just one course).

I'm sure these folks are fine writers, but golly, we're not even two weeks in yet! How will I survive twelve more?

Tim Horton's Hoedown-Lowdown

SURPRISE!

That's what I thought when I checked the mailbox and saw my charge cord for my laptop! Yaaaayy!

Anyway, last night while shopping with Tim I had the joy of being served by a clueless high school-aged girl. It was quite a funny situation, so I thought I'd share. It's not funny in a "ha-ha" kind of way, more or less a "what is the world coming to" kind of way...

Tim and I had been shopping for some time and both of us had become rather thirsty, we decided to stop at the Tim Horton's in the food court for a quick beverage and then continue shopping. I immediately decided I wanted to get a frozen lemonade, which I would highly recommend. (It's basically a lemonade slushie, delicious.)

As we approached the cash area, the high school-aged girl barked "HI" at us before she was finished a transaction with another customer. Once I was able to walk up to the cash, she then barked at us again. (NOTE: I'm using the word "bark" to describe how she sounded when she spoke. Usually a person barking creates an image of an angry person, this girl wasn't angry, she just spoke harshly. Still barking, in my opinion.)

I placed my order for a medium frozen lemonade, I quickly asked Tim if he would like anything, he said "I'll have the same" so I told the girl "make that two" and held up two fingers as a visual. (Not intentionally because I thought she was dumb, just out of habit.)

The girl told me my total was $2.02, I gave her the money and waited for our beverages. I thought to myself $2.02 isn't much, perhaps there's a promotion on. Within a minute, a frozen lemonade was produced for our enjoyment. I waited a few seconds and confirmed with Tim that I did order two lemonades, then once she was within earshot asked her if she rang in two lemonades to which she responded "No, just the one, my love".

With this I told her to punch in another medium lemonade and she informed me this time that my total was $1.57. I produced correct change and received the beverage, thanked her and walked away.

A safe distance from Tim Horton's, I discussed with Tim the fact that not only did she charge me more for the first medium lemonade, she did indeed give us two small lemonades... A total of (initial order - one, drink size - two, price - three, second drink size - four) four mistakes. I know she's a high school-aged girl, trying to make some sort of income, and hey - perhaps she was new, but seriously, there was no one in line behind us and she didn't appear to be under any pressure. I felt to bad for the poor kid that I couldn't possibly go back and point out all of her mistakes.

This all makes me wonder, what kind of people are we going to have in our service industries in the next few decades? Is this young girl an accurate representation of the generation up and coming? Are we going to get barked at by a professional (sadly, that's what she is) and the barker feel that it is an appropriate way to speak to customers? Are employers allowing employees to make these many mistakes per order, or even per hour, or per day? Should I begin to worry about what kind of education and training this girl is receiving in her workplace? What about the education she is receiving in our own provincial school system, should educators be held partially accountable for the way our future leaders are turning out?

In reference to my last question, by this time next year I will be finished my Education degree and be teaching children considerably younger than this particular girl. I do feel that as a teacher who spends five-plus hours with students five days a week, we are making a huge impression on these children. I believe it is important to demonstrate behaviors that are acceptable in public relations. And I'm not blaming this girl's teachers for her communication habits or her inaccuracy in serving me, I'm sure much of a person's behaviors are influenced by several different things such as their home life, social life, school life, etc. I guess I'm just beginning to see the world differently, and this specific incident really sparked my thinking on how people become who they are and how they interact with others.

If you have a minute to sit and think about this, a lot of time is sure to pass you by.

AWOL

My most sincere apologies to those of you who look forward to a fresh post more often than not. I have been AWOL for the past week and a bit, with good reason, I promise!

It seems as though my computer charge cable took a turn for the worst on Christmas day, the cord frayed and sparked and sizzled and it is far to dangerous to embark on any more journeys with it at this time.

I have, however, managed to order a replacement due to arrive late January/early February, slightly incovenient with Winter semester approaching quickly, but I will manage, I'm sure.

On a brighter note, I would like to wish each and every one of you a

***

The Chef

I have always had an interest in the blogging world, however I have never successful followed through with one. Perhaps the issue hasn't been my inability to write about things happening around me but more so that I continue to find myself in a niche, only allowing myself to post about quotes or something. This blog is my attempt to remove any form of niche: Blog Salad - pretty much everything in the cupboards and refrigerator..

Children's Lit. Post #1

Into the Thick of Things

Tim Horton's Hoedown-Lowdown

AWOL

***

The Chef

Blog Archive

Followers

Blog Salad

Search