Can you believe it? Critics were actually shocked that Shrek 4 surpassed Sex and the City 2 at the box office. Although this may seem like a travesty of Biblical proportions, to me it makes perfect sense. After all, both movies feature ogres, and audiences were obviously confused. People going to see 'Sex' probably bought 'Shrek' tickets, because the titles sound alike, and even the posters advertising each feature were identical. Today we are going to talk about perception, versus reality.
I experienced a reality check this summer, quite recently in fact. You see; I grew up with a certain perception of our nation's educators. Teachers were always viewed by me as, well, teachers. Think back to grade school, middle school and high school - the man or woman that heads a class is not viewed as a person or individual; they are simply "The Teacher." As a student, I rarely looked at my teachers as having a life outside the classroom; I certainly never envisioned them in social situations, or with family and friends. I personally would not go this far, but Calvin once mused that he figured teachers just slept in coffins over the summer.
The reality is, that having married a teacher, and subsequently having found myself in various social functions where teachers are present, I now have a different perception. Why, these people are fun. They socialize, they laugh at jokes, they drink margaritas - they're just like me. Who knew? Of course, I say that facetiously.
Let's stick with the subject of perception versus reality, but I would like to digress with two stories. The first occurred two summers ago, when I was on a motorcycle trip to the Gulf of Mexico. Stewbert and I made a fuel stop, and elected to grab a quick bite to eat. Although the gas station and attached cafe were busy and crowded, everyone was friendly, patient, and noticeably polite. People held the door for each other. A stranger, obviously impressed by our motorcycles, approached and talked to us about our trip. We ate, and returned complements on the delicious food. In the half-hour that we allowed ourselves, I never heard the words sir, ma'am, and dear used so comfortably, and so frequently.
The second episode occurred last November, in quite a different region of the country. I had flown into Newark, N.J., and grabbed a public train to Penn Station, Manhattan. It was a late afternoon commute, and the train was packed. I was lucky to get a seat among the sea of arms, legs and bulky winter clothing. Passengers aboard the train included families with small children, professional men and women going home from work, lovers making a long-distance commute, and every conceivable yarn in between. As the train bounced along, an inevitable conversation sprung up between myself and the gentleman to my right:
Him: "Man, I'll be glad to get off this train."
Me: "Tell me about it - I flew in from Wisconsin this morning."
Him: "What?. Wisconsin? You serious?"
Me: "Yeah, I have a dairy farm in Wisconsin, but I'm in New York visiting friends this weekend."
Him, with a look of shocked amusement: "You coming from a dairy farm in Wisconsin is like me saying I'm from Disneyland."
These two unrelated stories represent what I believe to be the reality of modern-day America. We are all just people, and normal, everyday people are totally capable of normal, everyday chivalry. In fact, if experience is the best teacher, my travels have never produced anything different, no matter where in the world I happen to find myself. In fact, I would bet that nothing jumped out as unusual to you, having read the two stories.
The perception of the above is that the two incidents should have never occurred. Mass media and pop culture propagate the convenient notion that the America of today views itself through the eyes of race affiliation, sexual orientation, religious fanaticism and economic stature. We are told that we divide ourselves into groups, along certain lines, by the very institutions that do it. Even the recent U.S. Census begged that each household identify the occupants' race.
I am here to tell you, that normal people do not view the world in this way. Thus, only for the sake of this argument is it worth mentioning that in the two stories listed above, Stewbert and I were the only Caucasians, without exception. According to mass media and pop culture, it should have never happened that way. But, I suppose, I am not trying to sell headlines or labels in the same way that they are.
Finally, let's end with something on the lighter side. By now you have no doubt heard of the tragic divorce between Al and Tipper Gore. Don't misunderstand; I am not relishing someone else's misery. However, keep in mind that this is a guy who has forced things like useless, incompetent, totally unnecessary and counter-productive CFL Light bulbs down everyone's throat, including mine. The perceptions of the divorce are too many, and too monotonous to list here. But, the truth is actually very simple and direct.
All that the Al and Tipper Gore divorce really means, restrain yourselves ladies, is that the most boring man in the history of the world is now back on the market.
I experienced a reality check this summer, quite recently in fact. You see; I grew up with a certain perception of our nation's educators. Teachers were always viewed by me as, well, teachers. Think back to grade school, middle school and high school - the man or woman that heads a class is not viewed as a person or individual; they are simply "The Teacher." As a student, I rarely looked at my teachers as having a life outside the classroom; I certainly never envisioned them in social situations, or with family and friends. I personally would not go this far, but Calvin once mused that he figured teachers just slept in coffins over the summer.
The reality is, that having married a teacher, and subsequently having found myself in various social functions where teachers are present, I now have a different perception. Why, these people are fun. They socialize, they laugh at jokes, they drink margaritas - they're just like me. Who knew? Of course, I say that facetiously.
Let's stick with the subject of perception versus reality, but I would like to digress with two stories. The first occurred two summers ago, when I was on a motorcycle trip to the Gulf of Mexico. Stewbert and I made a fuel stop, and elected to grab a quick bite to eat. Although the gas station and attached cafe were busy and crowded, everyone was friendly, patient, and noticeably polite. People held the door for each other. A stranger, obviously impressed by our motorcycles, approached and talked to us about our trip. We ate, and returned complements on the delicious food. In the half-hour that we allowed ourselves, I never heard the words sir, ma'am, and dear used so comfortably, and so frequently.
The second episode occurred last November, in quite a different region of the country. I had flown into Newark, N.J., and grabbed a public train to Penn Station, Manhattan. It was a late afternoon commute, and the train was packed. I was lucky to get a seat among the sea of arms, legs and bulky winter clothing. Passengers aboard the train included families with small children, professional men and women going home from work, lovers making a long-distance commute, and every conceivable yarn in between. As the train bounced along, an inevitable conversation sprung up between myself and the gentleman to my right:
Him: "Man, I'll be glad to get off this train."
Me: "Tell me about it - I flew in from Wisconsin this morning."
Him: "What?. Wisconsin? You serious?"
Me: "Yeah, I have a dairy farm in Wisconsin, but I'm in New York visiting friends this weekend."
Him, with a look of shocked amusement: "You coming from a dairy farm in Wisconsin is like me saying I'm from Disneyland."
These two unrelated stories represent what I believe to be the reality of modern-day America. We are all just people, and normal, everyday people are totally capable of normal, everyday chivalry. In fact, if experience is the best teacher, my travels have never produced anything different, no matter where in the world I happen to find myself. In fact, I would bet that nothing jumped out as unusual to you, having read the two stories.
The perception of the above is that the two incidents should have never occurred. Mass media and pop culture propagate the convenient notion that the America of today views itself through the eyes of race affiliation, sexual orientation, religious fanaticism and economic stature. We are told that we divide ourselves into groups, along certain lines, by the very institutions that do it. Even the recent U.S. Census begged that each household identify the occupants' race.
I am here to tell you, that normal people do not view the world in this way. Thus, only for the sake of this argument is it worth mentioning that in the two stories listed above, Stewbert and I were the only Caucasians, without exception. According to mass media and pop culture, it should have never happened that way. But, I suppose, I am not trying to sell headlines or labels in the same way that they are.
Finally, let's end with something on the lighter side. By now you have no doubt heard of the tragic divorce between Al and Tipper Gore. Don't misunderstand; I am not relishing someone else's misery. However, keep in mind that this is a guy who has forced things like useless, incompetent, totally unnecessary and counter-productive CFL Light bulbs down everyone's throat, including mine. The perceptions of the divorce are too many, and too monotonous to list here. But, the truth is actually very simple and direct.
All that the Al and Tipper Gore divorce really means, restrain yourselves ladies, is that the most boring man in the history of the world is now back on the market.
