Day 23

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Of the many defects here at Blog-Sothoth, perhaps the most egregious is a continuous focus on the negative in my school posts. I suppose it's because chaos and violence make for easy story-telling, and I can play the martyr for a good cause and stoke my ego.

But my job, believe it or not, can be fun. I'm starting to have fun at the March, the way I sometimes had fun at the Book before I got shipped over East Side.

Today for instance I was having some management problems with my first two classes, and I finally said "Y'all are getting on my nerves. I'ma play some loud country music." There on my iTunes was Doc Watson, and I cranked it up through my speakers and started to hambone in front of the class. The kids were lying on the floor pretending to choke and puke and saying "Oh, please Mr. G, turn it off!" writhing like two dozen Linda Blairs. I said "I'ma turn it off if you get quiet and pay attention." It worked! They got loud again and I put on Emmylou Harris to howls of dismay. Then when they got quiet I played Lil Wayne for them. One big girl named Shynia said "you can play that country music. I think it's funny. Lil Wayne sucks."

Then last period I was showing the kids some pictures from a Move Like Seamus gig to kill time. They thought that was a riot. The kids regularly say peculiar and brilliant things--it's a perk of my job--but today I showed a picture of myself playing a solo and a young boy from the 'hood asked in all seriousness: "Are you as good as Dave Mustaine?" shattering a half-dozen stereotypes and preconceptions in one breath.

WTF?