Through the Prism

After passing through the prism, each refraction contains some pure essence of the light, but only an incomplete part. We will always experience some aspect of reality, of the Truth, but only from our perspectives as they are colored by who and where we are. Others will know a different color and none will see the whole, complete light. These are my musings from my particular refraction.

11.14.2010

Then they assigned you the truly inspiring book and you found out how much reading could suck

My parents read to me growing up and after I discovered Dungeons & Dragons, Narnia, Lloyd Alexander, and Tolkien in late middle school I devoured 2-3 books of my own choosing per week through at least the end of high school. Of my own choosing. I also avoided assigned reading like the plague, usually finding if I paid attention in class I could do fine on all tests and assignments without ever actually cracking Animal Farm, Romeo & Juliet, or whatever else was on tap (textbooks included). I largely escaped because I discovered other reading I enjoyed and never lost the habit, but how many countless students have known the following experience?

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That was the year you had to read the book about a kid in the Civil War, the book the teacher never stopped raving about, the one she called truly inspiring. But you couldn't get past the second chapter. That had never happened before. You used to love to read and always had a book in your hand. Then they assigned you the truly inspiring book and you found out how much reading could suck. So you read the back cover and you went online and then you wrote the book report. It was total BS and you knew it and you were actually nervous all weekend knowing that on Monday the teacher would "want to see you after class" or call your parents and let them know that you "were slipping a bit." And on Monday you got the book report back and there was a big old A plus on the cover.

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You by Charles Benoit

posted by Degolar @ 9:24 PM

1 Comments:

At 11/18/2010 1:37 PM, Blogger Leelu said...

I had that experience in school quite a lot. I was always reading something, and other students would make comments like, "Teachers must love you," except that I knew they didn't. I was reading books of my own choice, and didn't much care for assigned reading. Happily, I didn't get much of it.

My great disillusionment happened in fourth or fifth grade, when I completely forgot that I had a book report due the next day and copied an old one of my sister's. I got an A. All the reports I'd written on books I'd actually read (adult level fiction, not this J level bio) garnered Cs. I never felt much urge to apply myself after that.

 

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