Difficulties

I think I'm finding it more and more difficult to write. On any given day, I may meet a new person (usually a nanny from Oaxaca), go on a new adventure, but what story is good enough to share?

My offspring themselves are interesting and rather fun to tell stories about, but what do you want to read about? I find myself at a point where I know that everyone who reads this knows most everything about me - so what can even be new?

Well, one thing I tend to find myself repeating a lot (to the new people I meet here and there and everywhere) is that I work as a sub. People view subbing as a bit of a crappy job, and it is - no insurance, so security, getting paid half or less what a teacher makes, whatever - but it's cool - and what I like most is having little to no responsibility for the students.

After subbing at schools in Compton, East Los, Glendale, and Canyon Country, subbing at LACHSA has been my main thing. There's one thing I've learned there that I haven't learned at many other schools, and that is that 97% of 14-15 year olds have mental handicaps. (I include myself in that percentage - but my sister is in the other 3%)

14-15 year olds, even sometimes regardless of who their parents are - are nuts. (here goes the disclaimer - I DO really LIKE them all, so if you are 14 or 15 or maybe even 16 or 17 please do not take offense, and like I mention in the above heading "never take my advice".

There may be nothing better to put the fear of having children in you as spending an hour and a half with 35 pubescent, hormonally raging, obnoxious, loud or reserved 14-15 year olds. It can be a living hell, a chaotic nightmare, and rarely a peaceful experience. This all leads to an assignment that I assigned some of my students last year when I was teaching.

"Forget the Spanish today, and take out a piece of paper!"

"You kids make me fear being a mother. I am scared to death of what my children may be like in 12 years from now so I need you to do me a favor".

I'm serious here - I did make them do this, and still have all the papers in my bookcase next to me to prove it. (I know I know, all this wishy washy writing is confusing and very Sara, but just calm yourself down and bear with me)

"I want all of you - to give me parental advice. And for those of you who are the worst - and you know who you are - I want you to pay extra attention and give the best advice. Write down what you think your parents did WRONG to make you the way you are. If you are a good kid - and you know who you are - please be sure to include what kinds of good things your folks did to make you a decent human being. I would really appreciate it."

Most of those kids wrote amazing papers. They took it really seriously as a minute to reflect on their upbringing. Of course, there were remarks such as "Do not let your children associate with minorities" and other funny things, but overall they gave some valuable advice.