I Got 99 Problems...and Publishing is 1!

 

As an almost thirty year old 7^th grade language arts teacher, one might think that I am too old to enjoy the profane nature of rap music. The curses that flow like water from the mouths of artists such as Jay Z, Eminem, Ludicrous, and Kanye may be perceived as a offensive to what is sure to be my sensitive ears and mind. How could a fine upstanding role model such as myself listen to music with such violence, inappropriate content, and down right rudeness towards…everyone? What is it about this vulgar music that I could find so appealing?

In a word: everything! But mostly the escape. The escape and the word play!

When I listen to rap music, for just a few minutes of my otherwise acutely appropriate life, I am a BAMF! That’s right. I just used an abbreviation of a very serious expletive, and I typed it on a laptop that was issued to me by the school. See what even writing about rap music does to me? It turns me into a reeeeeaal rebel. Look out world; there's no tellin' what I'll do next!

For the record, today was Free Write Friday- a day that I encourage and support my students’ creative endeavors and model the act of writing by writing while they write… that may have been an overuse of the word “write”; so much for being a shining example. As I sit and type, I try to lead by example- to show them that writing doesn't have to be a chore. It is my hope that by allowing them time to write about whatever topic they desire, they will become more fluent, more confident, and better able to produce written work on command. That’s my hope. Fingers crossed!

As for that darn rap music, I truly believe rap artists are brilliant. The way they think outside the box and take words and manipulate them to rhyme, give them a beat and  power- it’s down right impressive. When I listen to the lyrics of some of these songs, I find myself in awe of the way they control the English language. They misuse words (on purpose!), recycle phrases, mash up/scramble/toss these words in such a way that you can’t help but marvel at the feelings they derive.

I wish I had such brilliance in my own writing. Never would I want to be a rapper…well, that’s not entirely true; I think I'd look pretty cute in a pair of baggy jeans and a flat brimmed hat.  But alas, I am a wicked white girl from NH, so it is not likely. My only wish is that I can some day create prose that makes people feel as powerful as Jay Z makes me feel.

This weekend, I will be heading to Boston for my third Jay Z concert. In my stomach, there are tiny gangster butterflies with bandanas knotted around their heads and gold chains around their itty bitty necks. I am so excited; I cannot wait to get my swagger back!

**Disclaimer** I wrote this a week ago and forgot to hit the "Publish" button- classic airhead move. More to come about last weekend at Project Themoir.

Don't Call it a Comeback!

...One year later... 

just a tiny bit fatter
on the way to getting less poorer (more on that later)
even MORE almost thirty (257 days left, suckers)

My original intent- wait, is that where I went wrong?...intentions! Gah! Who can live up to such expectations?!...

Okay, so my original intent of this blog was to write my way through the last quickly fleeting days of my "almost 30" year+ (original, I know). I thought that by establishing a blog and sending it out into the world (or at least posting it on the internet somewhere where, perhaps, someone will someday find it), I would be more inclined to reflect on all that I am doing, will do, and have done. You know, bring some insight into my life; practice my wordsmithing skills; launch a revolution. Who knows?

Apparently, my dedication to the written word is fickle. Clearly, my commitment to myself as a "writer" is mercurial. But alas...that all changes TODAY! I reinstate the "Fatter, Poorer, Almost Thirty" blogger majiggy and bring to you my random musings. Hopefully after a couple of practice posts, I'll stumble upon a flow or theme ("they" say you should have focus). While I always tell my students to pre-write ("It's the MOST important step in the writing process Bs and Gs! (that's boys and girls to those of you not quick with the decoding)), I am doing a more haphazard, let it flow approach today. I know... You're welcome.

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The name's Krystal. I am a 7th grade teacher by day (actually, for 180 days), and this summer I am making my debut as a nanny (less poorer here I come)! When I am not busy lighting the fire of curiosity under the butts of my student, I am a Zumba enthusiast (I adore the feeling of letting loose with loud Latin rhythms pumping all around me- lights flashing- hips gyrating.) I love bad TV and good movies and taking pictures and following (isn't that just a polite way of saying "stalking"?) people on social media sites. I enjoy art, exploring spirituality, and I'm slowly breaking into the yoga world one back bend at a time.

All these loves be true but my first love is and always will be WORDS. Reading them. Speaking them. Squinting at them until they get fuzzy and swim across a page. Singing them loudly in my car or in the hallway at school. Devouring them under the sheets too late at night. Licking them off the pages of a magazine- starting at the back because I can. Smelling them- freshly printed on a worksheet hot off the machine at work. Encouraging them to scribble their way into reality at the hands of an unsure 12 year old.  Cutting them out and pasting them all over my wall (Yes, I still do this...). I subscribe to over 11 direct email blog/newsletters, and I've even find time to read a few. I cannot get enough of words.

Now as much as this is true, I am typically a word consumer. Unless I'm writing a paper for school, which I haven't done since I snagged my Masters in Education back in 2010, I usually struggle to complete my contributions to the World of Words. I've started stories and left them dangling on the computer screen. I've written poems on my iPhone, in journals, and on scraps of student work about to be recycled. I started this blog one year ago, and...

That all changes today. Today I am making a commitment to myself to write and write often.


I know this is too long to be an efficient blog post. I know there are rules in the bloggesphere against this sort of thing. If you found this post, it's likely you didn't make it this far (perseverance is rare these days). But you know what? Once I started writing this post this morning, I just couldn't stop myself; my words were just dying to get out there and into the world.


I've been here for years (almost thirty), 
 
Krystal 


Books I read this weekend:

1. Schooled by Gordon Korman
2. Midsummer Tights Dream by Louise Rennison
3. Legend by Marie Lu

Songs I am obsessed with:

1. Blurred Lines- Robin Thicke
2. Blurred Lines- Robin Thicke
3. Blurred Lines- Robin Thicke

Movie you should watch:

1. Before Midnight