Rodney, Part Deux

Seriously, should we be discussing the First Dog in the papers? Maybe the First Dog ON the papers, but, really, give it up. Do I care to read endless columns detailing a major rift in the McCain/Palin ticket over things like a wardrobe or her wanting to give a concession speech on election night? No. I don't even care about Michelle Obama's wardrobe. I would like the endless prattle to simply vanish. It's almost the "talk me down" idea that follows big sporting events during which analysts describe minutiae for all of us who have just watched the game.Puhleeze!
Besides, I've got my own issues to deal with.
I'm not ordinarily sensitive to critical/just-joking remarks about my lack of style or how one ear is lower than the other or how I'm the oldest person in the room, but it seemed today that everyone was piling on for some reason. It could have been the big target on my back or, perhaps, it was just my turn.
In a class of 250 or so, the instructor had just outed herself because we were discussing GLBTQ relationships today in a human development class. The question was put to the class: "Who was the first person you were attracted to?" I let the obvious grammatical error slide (because I figured the discussion was going to be difficult enough, anyway). As the class pondered the weighty issue, a student sitting a couple of seats away leaned over and said, "Darrell, don't worry if you can't remember, we know it's been a long time." I let it slide until the professor picked it up and repeated it for everyone's amusement. Big laugh. Still, I let it go choosing to be above a cynical retort, though I did exact a measure of revenge when the instructor began discussing how cruel kids could be, especially to GLBTQ kids. I made sure my ex-buddy Mike got the point. To which he replied, "I was just joking!" See if I help him study for the next test :( Fast forward..........
Discussing a complex biology essay I was asked to edit with the assistant volleyball coach who knows much more about the topic, he made the comment that most of my female students thought I was "cute" though how he knew was beyond me. When I noted the vast age difference, he agreed. "I mean they think you're cute like their grandpa is cute or the people at the nursing home can be cute." Joseph is 45 so he must be getting to the cute stage himself. I am definitely going to have to learn more about codons so I can stop talking to him! Strike two.....
Lory, one of my students who probably thinks I'm "cute," was reviewing the readings about Roman history for a western culture test. We were discussing the history and the leaders (she had never heard "the die is cast": sigh!), and the inevitable tangle of Roman emperors wound around Cleopatra's feet. She had no idea how the battle ended with the legions of Rome, so I filled her in on Cleopatra's "cowardice" and the subsequent carnage. I noted that she, of course, knew how the Antony and Cleopatra saga ended, and she opined, "They broke up?" Seriously, what DO they teach these kids? Anyway, when I gave her the scoop about their subsequent suicides, she said, "No, they didn't." (at least it wasn't "Oh No, they dihun!")I was aghast that she would question my response to something about which she knew NOTHING! I'm old, I'm "cute" and I would make up stuff in a tutoring session...that was too much. I went home, leving her to decipher the Flavians and Julio-Claudians by herself.
Besides, I had to get the Metamucil and get to work on Just For Men some more.