|
|
4:25 p.m. - Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2001 Hysteria...it's ironic how little things can make people react in the weirdest ways. My mother, for instance... She asked (big mistake #1) what I was going to teach on Halloween. (She hates Halloween...its the "devil's" holiday, she tells me... but we always trick-or-treated as kids.)I told her that we're in a chapter that discusses life in the English colonies and that I would most likely start with the Salem Witch Trials. (*insert hysteria*) Now she thinks I'm teaching Witchcraft in my classroom (oh, yeah, my son is reading Harry Potter, so now she's convinced we're practicing witchcraft in the house). She sent me an email... it was RIDICULOUS. (paraphrased) If you let the boys read Harry Potter and you start learning about witchcraft, you'll become a witch. Demons will be in your house and you can't get rid of them. (Ah hem) Ok, first of all...IF THE ONLY THING MY 10 YR OLD READS IS A 200 PAGE HARRY POTTER BOOK (he's read the first 3 already in 6 months), then so be it. I struggle to get him to read. We FOUND a book he likes. To prove a point, I read all the books before he did, so I would know if it were suitable. The magic stuff is fantasy-like, but the story is the most important. He understands the story and appreciates it. We talk about it. Does this make us witches? No. Not if it means that discussing how hard a life a little boy has makes you a witch... SO... I emailed her back (Paraphrase) I AM NOT TEACHING OR PRACTICING WITCHCRAFT. Sheesh dammit. First of all the SALEM WITCH TRIALS refers to hysteria. We're dealing with hysteria now with terrorism and anthrax. Hysteria. How does a country succumb to hysteria? You should know me better than that. YOU NEVER LISTEN TO A WORD I SAY. How insulting! (ah hem) I get a snotty "sheesh don't jump down MY throat, I am just telling you..." email from her. Ignorance, it makes me sick. She will never learn about what she criticizes, b/c SHE KNOWS ALL. She won't discuss anything w/ me b/c the Bible will give her the truth. (I didn't know that the Bible mentioned the Salem hysteria, I must've missed something.) Why, for once, can't I have a real discussion with someone in my family without being attacked, criticized or told what to do. I'm in my early 30's (sigh) and my mother still dictates what I do. (I hope you don't smoke in front of the boys. [They don't even know I do] They'll want to smoke, too. [She and dad smoked for years and I never had the urge. Besides, my house doesn't reek like dirty ashtray b/c I, unlike them, smoke in the comfort of my driveway, hidden on the side of the house like a freak.) (You're going to hell if you don't goto church. Because you don't go, the boys don't go, and they're going to hell too. I don't want THEM to goto hell. [I guess its ok for me to go then... and they ARE my kids. I guess we'll go to Hell on holidays together.]) (You're against the Church. [I mentioned that some churches promote ignorance in order to perpetuate people's beliefs, ignoring others beliefs and how important it is for them, too.] NOOOOOOOO, she tells me, only HER church is going to heaven...everyone else is joining me in hell. [At least I won't be alone.]) Anyone wanna bus ticket to Hell? *snickers* Anyways... that be the butt, bub. Laters
� 
|