Lesson 22: Mommy, what are testicles for?

I thought I'd open this up with a quick laugh, ergo the title of this post. My sister-in-law's sister's son asked her that question. I guess that's part of the joy of parenting--those unexpected questions.

I've had my dad's health on my mind for the past several weeks, and it made me think about how differently men and women approach their health care. Women know to perform their breast self exams, get pap smears and visit their doctors. Men, however, I've noticed, don't go to the doctor without prodding from the women in their lives. Knowing this, I decided to do a little research. This is what I came up with:

All info is from the CDC:

12% of men 18 years and over are in fair to poor health.
23% of men 18 years and over currently smoke.
31 % of men 18 years and over had 5 or more drinks in 1 day at least once in 2008.
32% of men 20 years and over are obese.
31% of men 20 years and over have high blood pressure.
18% of males under 65 years are without health insurance.

I'm saying this as a woman who cares about the men in her life. To all the men out there--please take care of yourselves! Visit your doctors, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet. I figure that if I ever get married and have a son, I'm going to tell my son at the right time what his testicles are for, how to take care of himself, the importance of going to doctors, and having health insurance. I once heard that no matter how smart, gorgeous, rich, or sweet a man is, somewhere out there, some woman is tired of his BS. But it's also true that no matter how stupid, ugly, poor or mean a man can be, somewhere out there, some woman is concerned about his health. So men, please LEAD HEALTHY LIFESTYLES. And if you don't do that, at least do this: LISTEN TO THE WOMEN WHO LOVE YOU!

Lesson 21: Time Off

It's ok to take time off for people you care about.

Lesson 20: The Best You Can

The more that I reflect on this blog and this learning everyday business, the more I see that I'm not necessarily learning facts of life. Rather, I'm learning more about myself, the world that I operate in, and expectations that I have of myself and the world around me. And I think that's even more valuable than that "book knowledge" that you get in school.

Today I learned that all things considered, I have a really great boss. Of course, she isn't perfect. No one is. But despite those imperfections, she has never made me feel as if I'm not good enough or that I'm not good at my job. Quite the contrary. I feel like she's trusted me in my position and she has always made me feel like I've done well in my position. And if I have indeed done a good job, it's in large part because of her support.

I've worked with so many people in numerous capacities, and I've noticed but not always accepted that you cannot please everyone. It's never easy to field the disappointment that comes with such situations, and I know that administrators and supervisors probably deal with these times more than the rest of us. My boss says the best way to handle those situations is to tell people, "I'm doing the best I can." As someone who has always aspired to the top and never wanted to settle for mediocrity, that's a difficult lesson to grasp.

Also in the process of learning that even though can't do everything, it doesn't mean that your talent is worth nothing. Passion for a certain issue doesn't mean that you should be involved with everything that benefits that cause. Sometimes it just wasn't mean to be and you realize that you're more effective when you focus on just a couple of things that matter the most and put what you can into them. I'm reminded of one of my favorite Thomas Merton quotes:

One of the chief obstacles to this perfection of selfless charity is the selfish anxiety to get the most out of everything, to be a brilliant success in our own eyes and in the eyes of other men. We can only get rid of this anxiety by being content to miss something in almost everything we do. We cannot master everything, taste everything, understand everything, drain every experience to its last dregs. But if we have the courage to let almost everything else go, we will probably be able to retain the one thing necessary for us--whatever it may be. If we are too eager to have everything, we will most certainly miss even the one thing we need.

Happiness consists in finding out precisely what "the one thing necessary" may be in our lives and in gladly relinquishing all the rest. For then, bu a divine paradox, we find that everything else is given together with the one thing we needed.-Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island

Isn't it interesting how some things can touch us so profoundly but we still forget them. Then when we re-encounter them, it's like a brand new epiphany.

Lesson 19: Hi Neighbor!

Today I learned that my the father of the family of my new neighbors is a musician. This is his website: Eric Herman Music He has an RV parked in his driveway painted with a cartoon character that looks like him.

I should also mention that when they first moved in, I looked out the sliding door that goes to my backyard and saw their HUGE black dog on my deck.

This should be interesting but probably not as interesting as my old neighbors who had sneakers hanging from the tree in front of their house. *gasp* Yeah, they got arrested.

But this new guy should be good. I'm interested in seeing what kinds of gigs he ends up going on.

Lesson 18: The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Because I'm sure that sometimes people like to have music to accompany the pictures on my blog.

I used to think that patience was one of my best qualities. Now I'm not so sure as it's barely 10:00AM on a Saturday morning as I write this and I've already had my patience tested not once but TWICE.

I consider myself to be pretty patient and even-tempered, but when I get really angry, I release the wrath of a thousand un-splendid suns. (Clearly, I am not as patient as I once thought.) I've learned today that you should never become overly confident in your "positive qualities" as once you do this, you will be tested. This is especially true with patience. Today I got asked the same question by the same person who had already asked me 30 questions previously (not exaggerating here). I knew I had to be professional, but instead I responded with a rather annoyed "Be patient!" Pretty funny considering I probably need to exercise the virtue of patience just as much.

Maybe the bigger lesson here is that no matter how great we think we are, we can always be better.

Lesson 17: Reading Between the Lines

Have you ever felt like someone isn't telling you the whole story?
Look at you all brilliant and reading between the lines! Do you think anyone else will do the same?
When I was a kid, I was taught to "read between the lines" in English class when we were analyzing a particular piece of literature to try to discern what an author was trying to convey.
That's what English class is for: Figuring out what people won't say directly but hide under text.
I have been in two types of scenarios today where I haven't been getting direct answers from people and have felt that they were "talking around the issue." The whole time, I was thinking "This will be GREAT for a blog entry!"
This is especially true with men...why can't men ever be direct?
Scenario 1: When placed into a position where you're assessing someone else, you're compelled and often required to read between the lines. I don't think that people naturally want to talk about everything you may want to know (weaknesses, negative actions, etc), so it's important to try to figure it out based on tone, diction and body language. In these cases, you can usually draw that person's explanations and true feelings out of them because in these cases, you have an idea of what the person is thinking. It's just a matter of getting them to feel comfortable enough to verbalize those thoughts.
This is the easier scenario because the outcomes won't be painful for you. They may be for the other party!
Scenario 2: This occurs when you're on the other end of the assessment and the person who is doing the assessing is about to deliver some bad news but doesn't want to hurt you. But you can tell, again, by the tone, diction and body language that the bad news is coming. And in order to spare that person of having to bring down the hatchet, you merely end the conversation right then and there. And that's the end.
This happens with relationships that likely weren't meant to be in the first place but still hurt when they end. I really hate these all too common situations.
In any case, reading between the lines keeps you on your toes. It keeps your senses sharp, and in some cases, it can spare people from being in uncomfortable and potentially painful situations. It's another one of those lifelong lessons. But the more you master it, the better off you are in professional and personal relationships.
That means I have more fodder for future blogs.

Lesson 16: The Chicken or the Egg

Today I learned that salmonella lives on the outside of an eggshell, not on the inside of the egg. Totally makes sense when you consider where the egg comes from. Anyway, that's why it's important to wash your hands after cracking eggs and to fish all the eggshells out of whatever you may be cooking.

And I have to give a second part to this lesson. If salmonella lives on the outside of the egg, does it also follow that the dangerous parts of a person are on the outside? And once you break through that shell, you can get to the tasty goodness on the inside? Here I go...trying to break through some shells now. Let's hope that nothing else gets broken along the way.

Lesson 15: Best Friends

This morning I read an op-ed article in my local paper reflecting upon schools banning best friends.

My first reaction was "Don't schools have better things to do? Shouldn't this all be about the development of the children rather than what's easier for the teachers?" Then I wondered, "What's wrong with best friends?" That's when I realized that there are different levels of friends, and while some may be more influential than others, they all have some kind of value:

1.) The tough love friend-This is the pal you take with you when you're shopping for new jeans. She'll tell you if you look fat without any kind of remorse. She'll also tell you that the guy you're dating is a complete loser or if you're setting for a dead-end job that doesn't do anything for your career. She'll speak up when you're acting like a punk and you believe what she says. And she gives you the plan...the plan to get over a man...what's the opposite of plan? Jam! (I needed a Friends reference. It just felt right) She doesn't do any of this to be mean. She does it because she knows you can do better.

Value: Always tells it like it is

2.) The "hang out" friend-The hang out friend is the one charged with tasks such as getting movie tickets, securing season passes to your favorite sporting events and cockblocking. He/she is the kind of friend you take out on the town but wouldn't want to go to with relationship advice. The hang out friend is more about entertainment than engagement.

Value=Always up to go out on a Friday night

3.) The childhood friend-Childhood friends are the people you met in elementary/middle/high school and still hang out with as adults. They knew you in your awkward stages and still communicate with you despite your adolescent mishaps. You don't see or hear from childhood friends very frequently, but when you do hear from them, they're all about reminiscing about stupid high school crushes and humorous "remember when" stories.

Value=Knows about the time you peed in your pants on the playground...and keeps it a secret

4.) The work friend-Work friends are far from best friends. You may or may not go out to them after hours, but they're there when you have to sit through boring meetings or when you need to cry about the professional stresses that accumulate from 9-5. If you're really lucky, your work friend will pick up that extra shift so you can go frolicking in the Caribbean.

Value=Covers for you when you screw up in the office...

5.) The opposite sex "just friends" friend-Everyone needs one of these. There's a reason why God made Eve after he made Adam. As a woman, I know that I don't know everything there is to know about men, so I'm glad that I'm fortunate enough to have guy friends who can fill me in on all the "secrets" that men keep. My conversations with them usually start with something like "Why did he do that? What does this meeean?" The best part is that there's no flirty pressure because you know your place. You know there's no romantic attraction. You're okay with the "just friends" relationship.

Value=Telling you everything your spouse/significant other/crush won't

6.) The used to be friend-Some friendships just weren't meant to be. Some people drift away from us or worse, they do something that makes us push them out of our lives. We may cry. We may seek revenge, but after the dust has settled, we remain grateful for what we learned from those "frienemies." We figure out what we don't want and learn how to avoid it later on, and we just let it be because there's no use in dwelling on it.

Value=You learn about what you DON'T want in your life

7.) The best friend-And of course, the best friend--the person who puts up with all of our shortcomings and loves us anyway. Best friends are always there to celebrate the ups and downs. They stand beside you at your weddings and cry with you when your family pet dies. They bail you out when you're in trouble and aren't afraid to take chances with you. They go with you on vacations and know exactly what kind of ice cream to buy when you're experiencing a horrible break up. Best friends are family. They're irreplaceable.

Value=Priceless

The point is that all friends, no matter how long you've known them or how well you know them, have some kind of purpose in your life. Why try to regulate people's harmless relationships? Even more importantly, why try to regulate relationships during children's early developmental years? There are bigger things to worry about.

Lesson 14: Mom Jeans

I love kids. And I love good moms who are all about raising their kids well. At work we recently hosted a weeklong event that kids from ages 3-9 participated in with youth from 11-18 playing support roles. Today we had a meeting with some of our adult volunteers to review what went well and what could have been done better. One of the first things my boss said was "I wish I had a camera on that first day so I could get a picture of all the minivans lined up on the street dropping their kids off."

I had to chuckle because I've heard all the stereotypes of soccer moms with their big vans filled with cleats, games and food wrappers. At least I wasn't the only one thinking it. While we didn't discuss it today, my mind wandered a bit to the mothers I interacted with last week; the ones driving minivans with 5 kids in tow, a Starbucks cup and in some cases, yes, mom jeans. Meeting with our adult volunteers today really made me think, too, about the women who are willing to hold a full-time job on top of being a full-time mom and volunteer for their kids' projects on top of that. I really appreciate those kinds of women because they're candidly real about their mistakes and their experiences in motherhood.

A few other things I learned about and from superstar moms:

1.) The definition of "gap moms."-Gap moms are moms who are willing to volunteer for everything and do a great job at it. They have one kid that was born several years apart from their other children, so once they're done volunteering for the older kids' programs, they get a break before they get calls asking them to volunteer for the younger ones, too. That break is the "gap" but no worries. They always come back.

2.) Moms who have children of elementary school to high school age go to bed at 9PM...this is because they wake up at 5AM to work out and make their kids' (and in some cases, their husbands' breakfast and lunches). By 7PM, you're not supposed to talk to them because they're tired.

3.) Moms are not afraid of creepy bugs, snotty noses, grubby hands or smelly kids. In fact, they love them.

4.) Anytime your elementary school aged kid asks you how much longer until they can leave something, tell them ten minutes. If you tell them anything less than that, they get antsy. If you tell them 10 minutes, they forget about leaving in 5.

5.) Their tote bags carry the whole world in them. No lie, I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled a minivan out of one of those things. It's like Mary Poppins!

6.) They don't sweat the small stuff, and they realize that 70% of it is small stuff.

7.) Their kids are superstars because they've grown up with two great parents. Yes, supermoms marry superdads. It's in the superparent rulebook.

So I'm sure that this mom thing is a lot more complicated than it looks, but I consider myself lucky to be able to work with women who make it look easy...and are willing to share their secrets with people like me who hope to one day be one of them.

Lesson 13: The Other Side

While I can't go too deeply into details, today I learned what it's like to sit on the executive side of the desk for once.

The amount of "power" that an individual has in a professional supervisory role is intense, and I now have a new found respect for people who are in charge of making decisions that can change people's lives. Of course, I've held leadership positions before. I've presided over important decisions, but sitting in that big chair in the workplace is definitely a unique experience. Can I get used to it? I'm not sure yet. Maybe I need more practice.

Lesson 12: Like My Daddy

L-R Clockwise Me and Dr. Anand Kuruvilla, who has become the father of the AKMSF; My dad in the orange surrounded by family, my brother and his daughter, my cousin-in-law and his daughter, my dad and his grandson, and my brother and his son)

So, today is Father's Day. What else could I do other than talk about lessons from my dad? I know it's like I'm cheating because these aren't necessarily things I'm learning today, but hear me out a little bit.

My dad has six children, and as the patriarch of our family he has seen and continues to see a lot of ups and downs. But he still rises above all of it. Growing up, my dad was the quiet type, but I still have tons of sweet memories of him like how he used to lift me up so I could swing from tree branches. (There's a picture of that somewhere!) More than anything, he taught me that you don't have to make a lot of noise to be a good leader. You don't have to have the light on you all the time to get attention or be influential. I think that's a lesson I've carried on today.

But the lesson that I'm still trying to master is that of courage. I know my dad has worried about a lot of things. I know he's struggled with a lot of the things that have happened, but he rarely lets it show. He stays strong for the rest of us when we don't know what else to do. He is an example of fortitude, and I think that in so many cases, that's what a man needs to be.

Overall, I don't know if I'll ever master all the things that my father and so many other great dads out there represent. All those virtues are ongoing lessons. Maybe he's the one who instilled in me this eagerness to learn something new every day.

Lesson 11: WAGs

A friend of mine recently referred me to the website www.kickette.com After treating myself to some soccer gossip, I noticed the word "WAG." I didn't know what a WAG was, so I looked it up and found that it's a collective noun meaning "wives and girlfriends, particularly those of the England World Cup squad." What do I do with a new word once I learn the definition of it? I use it in a sentence:

Victoria Beckham is Queen of the WAGs, and she, not the vuvuzelas, has been the source of the buzzing in the stadium.

Lesson 10: Hurry Up, Slow Down.

I'm not a boy. I'm not a man. But as a female, I constantly wonder why men act the way they do. Today I was listening to some of my coworkers talk about their sons and their conversation gave me a little bit of insight on the age old questions about the differences between males and females.

It all started at work when my coworkers and I were delegating responsibilities to a couple of 12-year old boys who insisted on running all over the school building. One of the women, the mother of a 4 year old boy, asked, "What is it about boys and running? My little one runs all over the place. Do they ever slow down?" Another co-worker, the mother of a 13-year old son said, "They eventually slow down after you tell them to practice walking over and over again...but I recently had my son decide he had to prove he had to hurdle over the couch. When I asked him why he did that, he said he just had to see if he could. And once he reached a certain height, he had to prove that he could reach the doorposts in the house." Another coworker, the mother of two elementary school aged girls said, "But why is it that girls take their time and you have to push them out the door in the morning sometimes?"

On the outside I was laughing at these anecdotes, but on the inside, I started to think about how this all applies to us when we get older. There are some things that men just want to get done while women want to get them done well, which obviously takes more patience. Need proof? Check out the way that men clean and compare it to the way that women clean. Which of the two care about whether or not the window cleaner is lavender scented?

Then I started thinking about it biologically. Women and men are obviously built differently with different parts to fulfill different needs. A man's climax can be finished in a snap while a woman takes more time. A man showers, shaves and gets dressed in 30 minutes. A woman takes a while longer to shower, shave, put on makeup, accessorize. And perhaps in the biggest difference of all, a woman can spend hours in labor while the man...sits in the waiting room.

So, the lesson of the day is...women and men are different because they're build differently. Men are always in a hurry because they need to make it to the finish line to survive. Women, on the other hand, take their time because they pay attention to detail along the way.

Lesson 9: Gooooal GREEN!

I was recently catching up on my Time Magazine when I came across an article titled Message in a Bottle, which was about Nike and the company's efforts to create environmentally friendly "green" products.

The coolest thing: Nine of the teams participating in the World Cup, the United States included, are wearing uniforms made completely out of recycled plastic bottles. It takes an average of 8.5 twenty ounce plastic bottles to make one extra large shirt. The jerseys are supposedly "lighter, sturdier, breathier and all those other Nike-ier things." Pretty cool, huh?

Although the thought of having old bottles (essentially garbage) in my clothes, I have to hand it to Nike for its efforts to reduce the amount of garbage going into landfills.

Lesson 8: Reading Architecture

If you read my That Teacher post, you'll see where I reference Dr. Timothy Powell, my most favorite educator of all time. One of the classes that I took with Dr. Powell focused on Native American literature, and he talked about how he was doing a project using architecture in the District of Columbia instead of books, magazines or other forms of the written word as his texts. The concept was interesting. When we're researching or observing things around us, why not consider stationary things that have been standing longer than the people who walk on by?

This brings me to today's lesson. I got an email today from my cousin that I'm sure was meant to assert that Christianity is built into the nation's most historical buildings. An excerpt from that email:

As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view ... it is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments!

As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the Two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door. As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the wall, right above where the Supreme Court judges sit, a display of the Ten Commandments!

Who would have thought that such things were engraved into these buildings? But in all honesty, I don't think that the purpose of architectural designs is to try to inject political messages or ideals into our communities. Rather, they're meant to provide an aesthetic quality to a practical structure. I, of course, admire Dr. Timothy Powell's efforts in interpreting the DC structures, and I have no doubt that his end project was extraordinary. But at the same time, I think that there are times when you should just appreciate the beauty that something - whether it's a building or anything else - has to offer rather than reading extra messages into them.

Lesson 7: Better Together

About a week ago, I received an email from a dear friend, and the following piece of encouragement was a part of that message in response to me sharing that I'm starting to write/blog more frequently:

You definitely should keep on writing. I stopped for a bit and am trying to get back into it again too. It's a big part of my life though because it's something I'll always have. Me. When you write, you become your own best friend. I think that's an amazing feeling.

I've heard the self-sufficient argument several times before, and I admit that there's a lot of validity to it: You're the only person who will always be there. You're the only person you can control. You're in control of your own destiny.

The original intent of this blog was to prove that it's possible to learn something new everyday because ultimately I wanted to end up spending my life with someone who I can learn something new from or with every day. Just one week into it, I've found that it's possible to learn things on my own, by myself. And that's great. But that's not not what I want. I know for sure now that I want to find someone to be by my side. I don't think anyone can say it better than Jack Johnson:

Lesson 6: Some People Should NEVER be Allowed to Work with Children

So I guess you can say that I'm cheating a little bit on this one because I've known for a while that some people just aren't compatible with the little ones. BUT today I learned that it's 100% easier to work with children than it is to work with adults because too many adults assume that kids aren't capable of doing anything other than being in the way.

A conversation I had today:

Adult: Did you just send another middle school volunteer to my station?
Me: Yes. I noticed that one of yours didn't show up.
Adult: He's here. I just saw him.
Me: They're supposed to check in with me.
*Adult rolls eyes.*
Me: Do you need extra help?
Adult: No. I don't need any help. *Rolls eyes again, crosses arms over chest and walks out before I can try to alleviate the situation.*

First of all, I can do without the attitude. Second of all, when you're working with kids, you need to have a better attitude. Third, when you're working with kids who are willing and able to help you, you should do your best to give them support or at least set a good example for them and let them know you're not annoyed at their presence. Fourth, if you don't like kids, you shouldn't be in a position where you'll be working with them. Fifth, don't take your umbrage out on me. I like kids. It's adults that I have issues with.

Thankfully, the attitude of the adult above is rare. I also got into a great conversation with a parent of two who will raise some amazing children. First, she said that school needs to be a year-round affair with just a couple of weeks of vacation in the summertime. She says that this will help kids stay out of trouble and provide them with good role models so long as the teachers are willing to do their job correctly and well. Second, she agreed with me when I said that all children are looking for is validation, and when they find that validation, they follow it. So, if they get it out on the streets, that's where you'll find them. But if they find it at home or with a trusted coach, teacher or mentor, they're on the path towards success.

So the end result is this: When looking for people to volunteer for youth programs, go for people who actually like kids and care for their well-being.

Lesson 5: High School 10 Years Later

I graduated from high school ten years ago in 2000, and this fall our class will be celebrating our ten year reunion. I really don't feel like going since I have no desire to relive high school which wasn't a complete nightmare but is far from "the best years of my life."

Out of curiosity, I did Google my old high school, Westside High School to see what it's like now. I learned about the following things:

• Our school actually has a website now! Back when I was still in high school, email was a pretty new thing.
  
• Our sports teams now include horseshoes, volleyball and disc golf, none of which were available when I graduate.
• Some of the teachers I loved are still there! So are some of the ones who made my life miserable...
• We now have a home football field! (OHMYGOSH!)
  
• According to its 2009 School Profile, Westside is not meeting Adequate Yearly Progress Indicators. I'm disappointed.

As my 10 year reunion approaches, I'm also reminiscing about some of my fellow Class of 2000 members. Looking back, I can't believe how big of a deal I made about some people and some things. I guess that this is a kind of wisdom that comes with age. I'm remembering what it was like to want to be a part of the "cool crowd" but never quite fitting in with them. Instead, I got to make nice with some people who I'm still friends with today. And that was even better than getting crowned at Homecoming.

If I had to list all the things I've learned between high school and now, I could make a third blog....but really, two is enough. Sometimes I wish that the current me could write a letter to high school me, but then I realize that I wouldn't be where I am now had it not been for those scars I endured during those four years. I guess that's the way it's supposed to be.

Lesson 4: Katy Perry's Previous Life

Four days into my "learning something new every day" experiment, I realized that the things I learn won't always be serious. For instance, today I learned that Katy Perry used to be a contemporary Christian singer who used to be known as Katy Hudson. Wow! She went from Jesus Loves Me to I Kissed a Girl!

Lesson 3: Progesterone Levels

Back in high school Biology, I learned that progesterone is the hormone that's necessary for a woman to sustain a pregnancy, but I didn't learn many details about it. Today I learned more details: Progesterone is the hormone that delays the shedding of the endometrium layer where the embryo implantation occurs. Low progesterone levels can lead to difficulties in having children and may lead to a miscarriage. I also learned that my body has low levels of progesterone. I wish I hadn't.

Lesson 2: Soccer vs. Football

I've been reading Time Magazine's feature story on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, and although I haven't really paid attention to soccer since 1994 when it was the US hosted the World Cup, I'm planning on catching some of the games this year.

In between the inspiring story of Samuel Eto'o and the recounting of Christiano Ronaldo's status as the (gorgeous--striking*) 2006 villain was an account about how Americans are just now catching on to a sport that has been exploding worldwide for decades. The first line in the article: Please stop lecturing us. We know it's called football everywhere else and that it's the global game, the beautiful game. Americans call it soccer because there's a perfectly great sport here already called football, one that is not inclined to surrender its moniker any time soon.

Ever since I was in middle school, I've been aware that everyone else around the world called soccer football and they called our football American football. But I never knew why until today.

Thanks to snehalmehta921 and this article from Slate I now know that the word "soccer" originated from the "soc" in "association football."

How's that for reaching my GOOOOOOOOOOAL of learning something new everyday?

*I know he's not a striker. I'm just trying to be punny.

Lesson 1: The Meaning of the Word "Clutch"

Like many Americans - and I'm sure other people around the world - I've been watching the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers. Between all the dribbling and ally-ooping, I've heard the commentators say, on numerous occasions, that Kobe Bryant is a "clutch player" and that he always "comes through in the clutch."

Now I don't claim to know everything there is to know about sports, but I do know some things. It's just that the word "clutch" has never been one of them...Until now!

Inspired by my commitment to learn something new every day and fueled by the pride of wanting this blog to be a success, I tweeted about how I don't know what the word "clutch" means, and I got two responses about it:

From kittenmasks: it's part of sports lingo and the word "winningest" also falls in the same category, aka words I don't consider to exist.

From linsomnia: I don't either. Do they mean "crutch?" That would make sense...

I felt good knowing I'm not the only one who thought the word was a little ambiguous. While these responses gave me a little bit of a chuckle, I sought the meaning of the word by Googling it. I was referred to Urban Dictionary (note to self--there's some funky stuff on Urban Dictionary) and learned that "clutch" means that the player can come through when the times are tough. In the example of Kobe Bryant, it means he can come through in the 4th quarter when the team is down by two by shooting and making a 3-pointer. Small victory for me, but man it feels good to finally know what Van Gundy is talking about now.

But to be honest, to me, a clutch will never be about sports. It will be about Marc Jacobs.

I Picked Up My Pen

It's been about a year and a half since I started my Everything Turned Upside Down blog, and just for fun I decided to read over some of my earlier posts. Then I realized that my inaugural post, I Dropped My Fork doesn't even apply anymore because that so-called "Dreamboat" has sailed away...and now there are so many things that I can't stand about him. Funny how things can change in one year. Still, I have to admit that my world is still pretty upside-down.

In the 18 months since I started that blog, I've had numerous conversations about relationships, and I recently told someone that I really want to end up with a man who I can potentially learn from every day. The reaction: "Wow...that's a pretty high expectation." I never thought it was, but that response made me sit and think about whether or not trying to learn something from someone else is realistic at all. And it made me wonder, too, "Are my expectations too high? Is it even possible to learn something new everyday?"

I've always had a passion for learning and I've always thought that it was important to surround myself with people who challenge me and the way that I think. But now I wonder...is it even possible? So I'm starting an experiment that I'll be documenting on this new blog: The Eternal Classroom. In this blog, I'll be documenting the new somethings I learn each day. Stay tuned.