Bad Influence...

So – wanna hear something funny (or at least it is to me…):

I have volunteered to be part of this online mentor program with kids in high school. (My student wants to be a lawyer…)

Anyway, I thought that I had responded to my mentee last week, but apparently the posting didn’t go through because the student just wrote to me asking for another posting. Being the conscientious mentor that I am, I wrote a replacement posting right away, with the title “Ooopps…” to symbolise that I thought that I had already responded.

Anyway, the problem was that I was IMMEDIATELY told that my message was red flagged and had to be reviewed for ‘inappropriate content’! And note, there was an actual red flag to bring home the seriousness of the situation.

Also being the worrywart that I am, I freaked for a minute wondering what I may have accidentally written…but then I realised that it must have been because I used the phrase/words drug possession, burglary and murder – in the course of my explaining what a crown prosecutor does, of course…

Anyway – at that point I had good laugh about the situation thinking, “Wow – am I ever a bad influence!!!” I figured that the moderator of the message board would log in pretty quickly, remove the flag and all would be well…

Being me, I obsessively checked back every few hours to see if the flag was gone…it sure wasn’t…but what was there was a new message from my mentee. The student wrote back and asked what “oops” is wondering what I had said that was inappropriate! Apparently, it turns out, that the student could also see the title of my posting AND the red flag, as well as the comment “This posting has been removed because of inappropriate language and will be reviewed by the moderator…”

My reputation is totally wrecked! Ha ha! Either that, or clearly I am the coolest mentor – given that I have to be censored and all!!!

deep thoughts...

Seeing as how it’s exam time for university students, I started reminiscing down memory lane. Way back when I was a university student, I believed that anything less than an A was a failure and that even an A was just mediocre. I studied intently – pulling all-nighters, living on nothing but oxygen and Pepsi for days on end. I practically killed myself each and every semester to ensure that I kept up my G.P.A.

Now, several years later, I look back and wonder – was it all for naught?

It’s not like I remember how to find a limit using calculus, or what the chemical pathway is for photosynthesis…

Yes, my grades did earn me some scholarships and a job in Toronto – but the scholarship money wasn’t that significant and I left that job to move back to my home City. And now it’s not like a potential employer is going to ask me for my transcript…

So really – was all the stress and effort worth it?

I had a friend who went through school who believed that as long as he passed, what did it matter if he got a D or an A. He spent his undergraduate days focusing on other activities and just crammed for exams the night before. Granted, it took him an extra year or two to get into law school, and he didn’t get an articling job immediately after graduation – but now, he is a practicing lawyer who has had numerous other life experiences to a degree that I never got.
Who should be laughing?

All about me...

1. What color are your socks right now? Beige Sockets – which is so boring considering the multi-coloured knee-high socks that I own…

2. What are you listening to right now? My internet radio station – NSYNC - Gone

3. What was the last thing that you ate? Gefilte fish and whole wheat matzah – only 6.5 hours to go…

4. Can you drive a stick shift? Barely!

5. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Cranberry – of course!

6. Favorite drink? Cranberry juice – of course! (and water)

7. What is your favorite sport to watch? Football!

8. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yep – once actually dyed, and several times just highlights…

9. Have you got any pets? Not right now but I really want a couple of puppies! (Once we buy the house!)

10. Favorite food? Chocolate, fruit, my mom’s soups

11. What was the last movie you watched? From start to finish – Enemy of the State – finally saw the whole movie – usually only catch a few minutes here or there on tv.

12. Favorite day of the year? Halloween!

13. What do you do to vent anger? Cry, go for a run, yell at my poor husband

14. What was your favorite toy as a child? My Smurfs – I will never forgive my aunt for selling them!

15. What is your favourite: fall or spring? Both – Fall for the changing leaves; Spring for the promise of summer

16. Cherries or Blueberries? Blueberries (though Cherries are a close second)

17. Living arrangements? Apartment with my husband

18. When was the last time you cried? Last week – I am a crier!

19. What is on the floor in your closet? Piles of pantyhose

20. What did you do last night? Went to my in-laws to say goodbye to my sister-in-law who is going home today

21. Favorite smells? My mom’s chicken soup, right before it rains, my husband’s neck

22. Who inspires you? My mom

23. What do you regret most in life? Not doing a pharmacy degree in undergrad instead of a useless science degree.

24. What are you afraid of? Tornados, fire, earthquakes, failure

25. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Plain

26. Number of keys on your key ring? Too many to bother counting

27. How many years at your current job? A little over a year and a half

28. Favorite day of the week? Friday at 4:30 p.m. and Saturday mornings when my husband doesn’t have to go to work.