Meg's blog

Today in class I was talking about Christina's World. Going over perspective, but also talking about people with disabilities and how they take on the world.

I told them that I know a man [my "Grampa", a WWII vet] that only has one leg, but he doesn't let that stop him. He goes around on crutches or in a wheelchair, and has done so for over 60 years.

But you just can't tell a group of 1st graders something like that and expect to move on to perspective (which they already pretty much get anyway).

Kid 1 - "How did he get one leg?"

Me - "He lost one of his legs in a war"

Kid 1 - "But HOW did that happen?"

Me - "Um... Um... Um... Well his leg got hurt..."

Kid 2 - "And his leg came off?"

Me - "Well, no. The doctor had to take it off later. But he was in a hospital and asleep when they did it"

Kid 1 - "But how did his leg get hurt?"

Me - "Um... Well, he was in a war, and I don't know... People in wars get shot sometimes, or bombs go off"

Kid 3 [this is my favorite] - "What's a war?"

Me - Uh... It's when two countries get mad at each other and fight

(confused looks)

Kid 4 - "Where is his leg now?"

Man o man... They can really get me sometimes. I wish people never figured out war. But that kid that asked me what a war is will figure it out soon enough. One day he may have to fight in a war. One day he, or someone else he knows, might find out exactly how people get hurt in wars, and how pointless it all is.

If I think about this stuff too much my head will explode.

Is this thing on?

So a salesman is driving through the country, when his car breaks down. This was in the days before cell phones, so he walks to the nearest farmhouse and asks the farmer if he can stay the night. The farmer says "That's fine, but you'll have to sleep with my son". The salesman says "I'm sorry, I think I'm in the wrong joke".