Diana.nu

Yesterday was my first day of volunteering at the elementary school!

Before that happened, though, my friend was out jogging or something, and decided it would be a good time to pick up the CD he had asked me for some couple of days ago. I was still in PJs, so he came up to the door, and I handed him the CD. He said “Thanks.” Then he went on his way.

But I guess my sister heard him talk/cough, and ran to go to tell my mother about it. They came to the conclusion that I had let a man into the house and we partied all morning… or something. Whatever I did, it was bad. I got chewed out. I told my friend later, and he said something like, “Your family is awesome. Like, you’re that quick and neat, they don’t need evidence of anything, but they still genuinely feel you could pull it off. They must think you can rob banks and cheat on SAT’s and shit, too. I wish my parents believed in me that much.”

Which is a very good way to turn it around and boost my ego~ And it’s true. They do believe in me an obscene amount. It would be nice if they didn’t jump to bad conclusions, but what am I gonna do?

Anyway, volunteering. There were four classrooms and rotations, and I went with the first and second graders everywhere.

First, they learned about St. Patrick’s day. (“What kind of holiday is it?” asked the teacher. “Leprechaun!” said Irene.) I got to hand out the snacks.

Then, they ate ice cream. Oh, while they were waiting for their turns to get ice cream, I told them jokes. Which was awesome. I like lame jokes, and everyone’s heard my jokes, but not these kids! They loved the jokes. “What do you call a tiger with carrots in his ears? Anything you want. He can’t hear!” I started a riot with the “boobies” joke, though. (What kind of bees don’t make honey? BOOBIES.) I hope I don’t get in trouble.

Next was the scavenger hunt. This is when they started warming up to me. Myra asked me if a scavenger hunt was like an Easter egg hunt, and yes it is, so I told her she did a good job seeing the connection. Caroline was like my shadow. She was right next to me the whole time, telling me about her family. Poor Carlos had to go to the restroom, and of course, all the kids suddenly wanted to go, too. So, we had to go as a class. I figured out I could turn on the bathroom lights (they were scared of the dark, aww) by flipping a tiny switch with a bobby pin. Caroline helped me along with her bobby pin.

Last was a board game session. Irene asked me to sit next to her, and Diamond played with my hair, and Isaiah, who arrived pissed off, calmed down. We played “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?” They asked me multiple times if I had kids, or if I was married, or if I was going to get married. No, no, no.

We had to head back to the original classroom, so the parents could pick them up. Irene and Diamond held my hands on the way there. I had to let go so they could stand in a straight line with everyone else. We watched Shrek while parents walked in quietly to pick their kids up.

I can’t wait to go back!

I don’t have much to say right now, but what I do have to say is big!

Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day!

As such, I’d like to thank the woman who has had the most influence on my life. Her name is mom. (Actually, Gladis.)

I have been a needy little thing all my life. Until about 12 years old, I was constantly sick. Now, I need a lot of support (both financial and emotional). Either way, my mother has never been angry at me for it. She has never made me feel like I was the one to blame. In addition to that, whenever I needed something she couldn’t give me, she would confront whoever could. Without going into too many details, the last feud was with her insurance provider over my depression medication.

I remember when my sister was in junior high, they tried to change my mother’s work schedule. She wouldn’t have been able to pick my sister up after school. My mother fought and fought until they agreed to keep her schedule the way it was. She lost some friends in her work place because of it, since they thought she thought she was special or something. She didn’t think that. She has also fought for others in her work place when they were being pushed around.

What’s amazing is that my mother never asked for any of it. Again, without going into too many details, she was pushed into marriage by my grandmother. While her parents were willfully ignorant and tried to keep her ignorant in terms of sex education, my mother has always talked to me about anything I needed to know. She always emphasizes that if I ever find myself in trouble, like, with a venereal disease or accidentally pregnant, she’ll rip my head off, but then she’ll do everything she can to help me through the situation. I’ve promised her that if anything horrible like that ever happens, I’ll let her know.

She also says that if I am, or anyone I know is, ever sexually assaulted, no matter what, it is not our fault, and before we do anything, we need to report it so that the rapist can be persecuted and so that no one else needs to go through that because of him. This is probably common sense stuff, but it is respectfully radical compared to what her parents told her.

My mother is a beautiful woman who cares about herself and her children. She is aware of bullshit and rejects it. I love her.