It's a Good Thing

            I refused to go to summer camp that year. I protested the thought of signing up for the summer basketball league. No, I was eight years old and had just survived a grueling year of memorizing multiplication tables and I was in desperate need of a summer full of rest and relaxation. My parents eventually gave in and did not sign me up for extra curricular activities, but they were concerned about adequate childcare for when they were at work. The idea of spending the summer with my usual babysitter, the old lady from across the street, made me want to sign up for sleep away camp. That’s when my newly thirteen-year-old brother offered his childcare services. Skeptical, but desperate my parents agreed to the arrangement.

            The first day was a trial run; my brother and I were on our best behavior at breakfast. My brother showed off his care taking skills by refraining from stealing my pancakes from my plate. I exuded maturation by only kicking him a handful of times under the table; when my mother wasn’t looking. We are on our way to complete freedom if we could just keep the act up for a little longer. Mom gathered her things and with her hand on doorknob said, “Oh, remember no adults, no pool. Have a great day!”. We were blindsided; what was there to do if we couldn’t go in the pool. My brother obviously had a back up plan, “I’m going to Ant’s for a little”. With no pool and no supervision I was left to my own devices. I guess I wasn’t too much of a wild child because after my brother walked out the door, I turned on the TV and started flipping through the channels and I landed on a show called Martha Stewart Living. Martha instantly intrigued me; she could do it all. She had a lovely garden and an impeccably decorated home, but it was her cooking that really caught my attention. Every thing looked so good and she was using words that sounded foreign to me.

From that moment on I have had a love affair with Martha (just, Martha) and cooking. That summer I spent a lot of time practicing different skills and techniques that Martha would teach me through her TV show. On too many occasions my mother found evidence that I was using the stove so that, along with the pool, was banned while she was gone. She was still encouraging though, so after work we would create something together for dinner. My interest in cooking grew and as I got older I began researching more advanced skills and recipes. I now have a good understanding of cooking specific words. I know how to julienne a carrot, deglaze a pan, and properly zest citrus. Give me a whole chicken I can butcher it, roast it, and make a broth.

Unfortunately, none of my close friends share my love for Martha or cooking. I still try to push it upon them by buying them cookbooks and cookware as housewarming gifts. Yet they still see the act of cooking as a chore and time consuming. Understanding and acknowledging that people have different interests will help me in the future as a teacher. I need to know my student’s interests and hobbies so I can plan my lessons accordingly. If I am able to get students to gain knowledge and understanding by using a variety of different non-school literacies to pique their interest I will. I know that some students will have their own preconceived notions about English class or their abilities before they even meet me. If I can relate English class to a hobby that they enjoy I might be able to help them thrive and that, as Martha would say- it's a good thing.

PS. Martha was once a total babe, way before Camp Cupcake.