Desperation

According to Dictionary.com, desperation means "the state of being desperate or of having the recklessness of despair."

So in my desperation to get my kids to pass, I had them text me their cell phone numbers so that I can text them reminders about class. My students have my cell phone number.

Was is this a rash decision? Yes. Will I probably change my number at the end of the year? Yes. Is it helping my kids remember? Yes. So is it worth it? Absofreakinlutely!

Although I get some random texts from students that I have to ignore...this was my best idea yet. This way, they cannot say they forgot, or didn't know. I have PROOF they knew. I have PROOF they were told. It is, my friends, the best thing I have done all year.

80 to 100 times a day

I was driving to school the other morning and you know how they have the morning radio trivia caller iner question thingy???? Well that particular mornings was 'What does an average person do 80 to 100 times a day?'

I had no clue. I couldn't think of a single thing I do 80 - 100 times day...maybe yawn? No....blink? That would have to be more.....Wish I was somewhere else? Welll....maybe not 100 times a day...

I was stumped. Then someone called in and said cuss. In the split second before the DJ told him he was right or wrong I thought NO WAY! AND HE WAS RIGHT! CUSS! The average person cusses 80 to 100 times a day! Holy moly!

Then I walked into school.

And was greeted with a "you wouldn't f****** believe what this f****** b**** did to me. What the f***?!?!?!"

Oh well good morning to you too dear.

Then I started to think....80 to 100 times a day was underestimate for the majority of my students. They cuss. And they cuss a lot.

I remember my first day of work, I was dumb founded. I had never in my life heard so much profanity. And NOTHING was being done about it!

There was always an argument in my college ministry about cussing. Some people said they are just words, others thought they were bad, some were in the middle like me.

You stub your toe you say the s word - big deal. You almost run someone over because you dont see them walking across the street because people in your town don't know what a crosswalk is and you say the s word - big deal.

But when every other word in your sentence is the F word....I do believe that is a big deal.

Come to El Paso, listen to conversations. No matter the age, no matter the company, someone is dropping F bombs left and right and it's not a big deal.

I said the s word ONCE in front of my dad and I thought I was about to lose my life. And I thought he was going to have a coronary.

But here, in this town, in these schools, who cares.

The phrase 'cussing like a sailor' doesn't make sense to them because everyone cusses.

I don't know how this started, where this became an okay way to talk, but it's shocking.

I don't cuss in front of my students. They know that I will call them out on their language. They know not to cuss in front of me (well atleast some try not to).

I told them that if the only adjective they know is effing, then they need to expand their vocabulary.

Pray for this place. These people. My students.

Because cussing is just the tip of this iceberg.