So I work with a load of teenage shitweazels, testosterone fueled oiks, fuckwits, teenagers.
Now, they aren't exactly stupid. Okay most of them aren't. But...dear gods, it's hard. I've had to explain who Alice Cooper is ( fine, fine, before their time), who Stephen Hawking is, what a noun is ( that one was hilarious - gave my one of my bosses a 'Janet sees the ball. The ball is red' lesson in front of a dozen giggling customers), what religions there are other than Christianity, Islam and Judaism ( but...they're the only religions, aren't they? No dude, they are not.)
Today I had to explain what a bigot was.
Anyway, they're aren't stupid really, but they seem to delight in not using their brains, at all. But I've been working on them. I help one of the lads do the crossword daily ( he was sooo pissed when he timed me three days on the trot and I did it in under two minutes. He has yet to finish it on his own) The discussion of the etymology of the word 'flange' and various other euphemisms was a hoot. Once I'd explained what a euphemism was, obviously.
But, and this is a shock, they've actually started to read books. Not comics either! They've always been 'books are for nerds!' but now... I keep a book on the go in the canteen ( Ian Rankin currently) and I've noticed that mine is no longer the only book mark in it. And, shock upon shock, I found a copy of Pride and Prejudice in there today, with a bookmark halfway through. Not the zombie version either.
Of course none of them will own up to being the nerd who's reading. But I'm converting them, slowly but surely
One of them even used a word with more than one syllable in it today!
Now, they aren't exactly stupid. Okay most of them aren't. But...dear gods, it's hard. I've had to explain who Alice Cooper is ( fine, fine, before their time), who Stephen Hawking is, what a noun is ( that one was hilarious - gave my one of my bosses a 'Janet sees the ball. The ball is red' lesson in front of a dozen giggling customers), what religions there are other than Christianity, Islam and Judaism ( but...they're the only religions, aren't they? No dude, they are not.)
Today I had to explain what a bigot was.
Anyway, they're aren't stupid really, but they seem to delight in not using their brains, at all. But I've been working on them. I help one of the lads do the crossword daily ( he was sooo pissed when he timed me three days on the trot and I did it in under two minutes. He has yet to finish it on his own) The discussion of the etymology of the word 'flange' and various other euphemisms was a hoot. Once I'd explained what a euphemism was, obviously.
But, and this is a shock, they've actually started to read books. Not comics either! They've always been 'books are for nerds!' but now... I keep a book on the go in the canteen ( Ian Rankin currently) and I've noticed that mine is no longer the only book mark in it. And, shock upon shock, I found a copy of Pride and Prejudice in there today, with a bookmark halfway through. Not the zombie version either.
Of course none of them will own up to being the nerd who's reading. But I'm converting them, slowly but surely
One of them even used a word with more than one syllable in it today!
