Last year when I tried the Slice of Life Challenge I started off well, then the reality of all the other things in my life that take me away from writing came crashing down. I enjoyed my epic fail, so I am going to try it again. By my count I will have to go 22/31 to improve on my total of 21 posts last year. I figure that if Stacey and Ruth keep the Slice of Life Challenge going, then I will "bat a thousand" in 2021.
My thinking today revolves around the expression, "oh my stars." But before I get into how it has impacted me lately you need to think it sounds like, "OOOOOOO MY STARRrrrrzzzzz." Just "oh my stars" doesn't cut it.
I first heard this expression when my two children's tennis coach used it when he wanted to give a little ribbing to their laziness on the court. Mike the coach may be one of the most gifted teachers of kids I have ever seen. He knows how to instruct expertly, but more importantly he has made it a priority to get to know Hank and Ellie. And because of this fact he can celebrate, critique, encourage and show his affection for them by smiling, barking, coaxing and joking "oh my stars" in a variety of tones.
Over the last year or so, Hank and Ellie have started mimicking Mike. They both have a way of layering the words into insanely different conversations. My wife has started using "oh my stars" in numerous ways as well. I am now using "oh my stars" with nearly the same verbal dexterity a longshoreman can manipulate an f-bomb.
Yesterday, I knew it was time to slow the "oh my stars" train down a little when I said, "OOOHHH MY-" during a reading conference in my classroom and a student who was 4 to 5 feet away interrupted my joy with a forcibly whispered "starrrrzzzzzz."
The moment hung in the air briefly and it seemed weird. I deflected the slight awkwardness with, "Your'e exactly right Claire. Thanks for helping me out."
I know I will keep saying it, but I probably need to think before blurting it out too much. I don't want the phrase to lose its magic. I want it to be something that when I say it, no matter what the tone is, that the words have a sublte layer of love behind them. Because I feel when Mike uses it with my kids (and hoefully other tennis players too), it means many things, but I think it also means "I love being right here, right now, with you." Isn't that how we should spend our time when we are in the company of others.
Later,
Tony
Oh my stars is much better than using the f-bomb. It is dropped so frequently at my restaurant job that when I was working as a substitute last year, I was always afraid I drop it accidentially. I've since made mental effort to curb my usage and thinkage of the word. Good luck this year. I look forward to reading your posts again.
Posted by: Bree Carte | 03/02/2011 at 11:57 AM
Hey--don't worry about the number of posts--just try for consistency (every Tuesday and Thursday?). And sometimes my posts are just a line or two long, which helps meet that crunch. I can tell you like to write, and you like to write the complete description. I'm like that, as most of my posts trend longer. But I've learned that sometimes a thin slice can be just as effective, and makes me feel good about keeping the chain going.
I love your writing--always glad to read it no matter what the length.
Elizabeth E.
http://peninkpaper.blogspot.com
Posted by: E. Eastmond | 03/08/2011 at 12:53 AM
So, this means you had more than one posts in a month, is that so?
http://www.phentermine-37-5.info
Posted by: Account Deleted | 08/09/2011 at 06:49 AM