Blog of a Million Dreams

Friday, October 30, 2009

Round Heeled Shoes

I just started reading Jane Juska's book, "A Round-Heeled Woman". I think it came out a few years ago, and I wanted to read it then.

But, as you should know-if you read my blog, I always troll the Thrift stores for books that were bestsellers or new reads years ago...and I found her book the other day. It was at the Milpitas Goodwill, which is sorely lacking. In fact, the only good thing I found at the Milpitas Goodwill was a forest green cloth placemat (which I use for under the dog's water and food) and this book.

Anyway, Jane Juska is a retired teacher from Berkeley. She came to Berkeley by way of Ohio and keeps her small town prejudices, only upside down in the way that transplanted Californians do...in other words, she considers herself a liberal. A misguided liberal who thinks that all gays are good and victimized and brilliant and she congratulates herself on dating people outside of what she would consider her race...she congratulates herself for dating a Jew, for heaven's sake. Only a misguided liberal would consider prejudices and stereotyping good as long as they weren't the same stereotypes and prejudices of an anal retentive conservative....

But peeling through all of her baggage and warped thinking, is an interesting story. First of all, Jane Jaska fought fat and won. And that is to be congratulated. She lost a lot of weight.

Then, at the ripe old age of 60 something, she decides to have a sex life. And she writes about it!

She gives us all hope.

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Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Stay At Home Moms & Schoolkids

I was talking with a woman I know (call her Keronna) who teaches 2nd grade.

Keronna: I've been informally surveying my students in the last 7 or so years and I found out the weirdest thing. The kids who are at least one grade level behind (or more) all come from homes with stay-at-home moms. Isn't that weird?

Me: Yeah...why did you start doing that?

Keronna: Well ever since I got my 2nd Master's, I started getting really interested in data. And, since I don't have a kid of my own yet but I want to have a kid someday....AND since I was interested in what the commonality was with these kids who are all so far behind...I started asking the kids if their Mom worked {yes, worked outside the home} or was a stay-at-home Mom. And the kids who were really far behind all had stay at home Moms.

Keronna: All these kids with Mom's at home have no time management skills, don't do their homework, and are behind the other kids...they aren't the gifted kids, that's for sure...

Me: Well, why do you think that Stay-At-Home Mom's have kids who are so far behind? What could be the reason?

[Me...thinking]

Me: Hey, do you think that it's just that Stay-At-Home Mom's can't get jobs because they don't have the same education as Working Mom's? Or maybe they're depressed because they're stuck at home and so they don't initiate anything with their kids?

What do you think? Why would Keronna see a pattern with Stay-At-Home Mom's and below grade level kids? What do you think is going on?

BTW...this is a true story.

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