Weeping while Teaching

The Matron is currently teaching a class called Race, Gender, and American Culture. Yours truly is the sole faculty member in the Gender and Women Studies department at her college.

Everyday, course content in the above class brings at least one person to tears. The Matron has handed out plenty of tissues (she brings a box every day and is now sort of proud of her track record of hysteria) and heard a lot of personal stories. Most of these students are first generation college students, immigrants, poor. The Matron loves each and every one. Well, mostly.

Currently, the class is analyzing rap and hip hop to examine how the intersections of race, class, gender and heterosexuality operate in popular culture.

Students offered a couple of 'underground' links to revolutionary rap. Here they are:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lCPXEARpE8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Vl0peys90

Thanks to these students for helping the Matron during her dry spell AND allowing her to teach 24/7. She imagines most blog readers are not 19 years old and here's a glimpse into the world of young people who care about the well-being of all people.

Actual Conversation

In the van after school . .

Merrick: "Mom, when I gwow up can I be a bad guy?"

Matron: "What's a bad guy?"

Merrick: "You have a gun and maybe a mean dog."

Matron: "Do you have a mean dog right now?"

Merrick: "No."

Matron: "Do you have a real gun? One that shoots bullets?"

Merrick: "No."

Matron: "Are you happy?

Merrick: "Only if I can be the bad guy."

Pause.

Merrick: "Do bad guys weaw footie pajamas? 'Cause I need mine."

And, as usual, the minute they arrived home, Merrick ripped off his clothes, put on his footie pajamas, grabbed a stick and played with a couple of dogs. And then hung out on the tire swing.

Bad guy.

Documentary

More life . . that's Scarlett in the red page cut as Romona!

The Matron pretending she's 25

First day of school

One of the Matron's pet peeves is her husband's proclivity toward photography.

Here's the Matron in the midst of a birthday party full of four, five, six and seven year olds. She is sweating. There are presents to open, cake to cut, pizza to slice and young children to navigate. The latter means that arguments, jealousies and love fests ensue.

As she's (sweating) cutting cake and herding children, here's John.

John: "Everybody smile!" Click!

John: "Merrick, can you open that slower so I can film it?"

John: "Nobody move! This is a great shot!"

While the husband documents, the Matron labors. Here she is picking up tissue paper on Christmas morning or making Thanksgiving dinner while John takes pictures. She looks good in an apron.

Matron: "Uh, can you put down the camera and help out right now?"

John: "Never. You'll thank me for this later."

And with this post, she is.