I teach Health to eight year olds. Once a week, for thirty minutes- we talk about how to brush your teeth or what to do if your kid brother lights you on fire with firecrackers and the many different types of flammable liquid one can find around the home (and why it’s bad news bears to drink them).
One of the things we work on in Health is self- esteem. They are growing up in a Bratz Dolls universe and any doll that can make Barbie look like a slob has got to be dangerous. So last Health block, I walked in and asked the kids “What is something you have done that made you feel proud?”. Their answers involved puzzled looks and crickets. After a minute of silence, one of the boys, raised his hand and asked me, “what’ve you done that makes you proud?”. I ran through the list of G rated examples a teacher always has on hand. (I left out the one time in my life I tied a cherry stem with my tongue). I talked about how I was proud when I went traveling Europe (backpacking, where I spent most of my money on clothes, baskin robbins and wine in a carton), when I became a teacher (after four years of university where I spent all my money on clothes, baskin robbins and beer in a keg), when I learned how to say **”supercalifragilisticexpealidious” backwards (I have no naughty version, it was just a cool thing to learn how to do).
I was thinking while driving home tonight, one of my proudest accomplishments isn’t related to somewhere I went. It has nothing to do with my career or finally crossing something off a “Life List”. It’s not about helping someone else, learning something new, and it’s not even about the cherry stem tying happening in my mouth Mary Poppins. No, one of my proudest accomplishments was this. I’m not sure why I love it as much as I do, but I do. And I’m not sure why I feel awkward admitting that, as though I just announced to the internet “Oh look at how awesome I am. Whoo hoo me!*hair toss/swagger/smug guns & wink”, no, it’s definitely not that (I started linking to posts that illustrate my awkwardness, including when I gave a child lingerie, but it just got depressing). I guess I just feel like if I’m encouraging kids to be their own biggest fan, to cheer the loudest for their own success, their own moments where they feel like they get it just right, I should do the same. So there it is. I adore that post.
Now, tell me. What is the post you are most proud to have published?
* that fire story was a bit of a downer wasn’t? Does it become more lighthearted if I explain it was my mom who accidentally set my dad on fire?
** I know I’m spelling it wrong but I’m too lazy to look it up and I enjoy thinking that wordpress spellcheck is freaking out trying to understand what I just wrote (similar to how I giggle thinking of how gmail spellcheck has a meltdown when I send out mass emails after three seven margaritas).
(And because I know you all spent your entire Thanksgiving on the edge of your seat wondering who won the last post- I’ll tell you Monday. Just in time for a new “Secret Project: Crush Edition” post! Also, keep your confessions coming! Email them to me at brandyismagic@gmail.com)
I was kind of proud of this one. Mostly because the reaction it got just floored me. And like you said, not in a hair-toss-look-at-me kind of way, but just in that SO MANY PEOPLE could relate. And started talking about it. And completely inspired me.
It’s always the ones that I hesitate hitting “publish” on for fear opening up THAT MUCH that always fuels the strongest connections with other people who get what I was going through at that moment.
I’m proud of you and your cherry-tying abilities.
My proudest moment was when I got my acceptance letter to my dream college. I was so nervous, but so excited! I posted about it, and still have it around in my archives, but I don’t know if I’d say that is the post I’m most proud of…
Maybe this one is: http://ang-smiles.blogspot.com/2008/05/inspired-by-jenn-who-shared-about-note.html
You should definitely be proud of that one, I don’t know how many times I’ve come back to read it, and it still makes me well up.
I don’t know if I’m the most proud of this post in terms of the writing, but whenever I think of this story, it makes my day a little better: http://sarah-bration.blogspot.com/2009/06/funboy-and-golden-sneakers.html
You have every reason to be proud of that post. It’s wonderful.
I think my proudest moment might’ve been when I passed my thesis defense. My entire project was one I wrote with my late grandfather in mind. I knew he’d be proud if he could see me or read it, and I felt like I’d finally found a way to say goodbye.
I wrote my proudest post just a few weeks ago. I was terrified to publish it because I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. And, even though some people were hurt, most people were supportive. http://stateiamin.com/?p=1025
That was definitely one of my favorite posts of yours. I say “one of” because there are just so many. I mean, I’ve loved you way too long to pick a single post.
I know that feeling though, of being proud of something you wrote. Something you spent time on and threw out in the world. I’m probably most proud of this post: http://nicoleisbetter.com/how-to-break-the-mental-health-taboo
I really loved that post of yours too- but I’m with Nicole, you write so many amazing ones it’s hard to keep a them to a top 10 or top 5 list.
One of my favourite ones is this one about my mom’s time in India. No one seemed to really get it, fewer people seemed to know what to say, and a lot of people sent me e-mails talking about how my mom was a feminist hero who I don’t understand. But it was something that had been on my mind for a long time & putting it out there was really wonderful.
And good for you for standing up against the Bratz dolls in the world, that kids get through adolescence okay seems like kind of a miracle to me, I’m glad you’re guiding them.
i, too, can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue. we are amazing.
any of my thoughtful posts are my proudest. they are so few and far between it seems. : )
I, too, am unduly proud of being able to tie a cherry stem into a knot. I’m ok with that.
My best work? It’s either the one about when I left my beater or when I had an epiphany about my Deafness.
Bless you for using your Big-Girl-Blogger powers for the Forces of Good! Just one more reason you are Teh Hawsum!
I think you have a lot of posts to be proud of too; I would totally agree! I think that I tend to be proudest of the posts that are the hardest to write. Discussing my divorce (http://justatitch.com/life-with-titch/the-one-where-i-drop-a-bomb/) and this story about the loss of someone I loved (http://justatitch.com/life-with-titch/on-james/) were the toughest to write. Also, an essay I had posted on Novelista Barista, mostly because it was really hard to discuss an ex (http://novelistabarista.blogspot.com/2009/10/bh-files-just-friends.html) was something I was most proud of. Great question!
This post made me the most proud: This Blogging Thing Reminds Me of High School, because I went ahead and admitted that I don’t think I’m the cool kid, it’s hard not to compare myself, and that I struggle with feelings of inadequacy in regards to my blog. It’s not easy to admit those things in such a long post. Believe me. :)
I haven’t yet written a post i’m proud of yet. But I hope to.
I would very much like to write a “he loves you” post, if you don’t mind?
Go for it! It was so fun to do. Good luck and thanks for the comment!
I just gave you a blog award…stop by my page to claim it.
I had to really pick my brain to figure out which post I’m most proud of, and I guess it would have to be this one:
http://www.yourwishcake.com/2008/11/on-my-story-my-ambition.html
When I go back and read it, I think it really captures the essence of my life up to this point. It makes me feel like my life really is a story. It makes me realize that I have actually accomplished a lot in my twenty-something years.
Which is always a good thing.
:)
Okay, now I’m off to check everyone elses posts!
(Oh, and props to you on making a difference in your students’ lives! Seriously. Kids these days need more positive reinforcement than we even know.)