Hello. For the past two weeks I’ve written a post using the prompt above on a Friday morning. I didn’t write a post this morning because I was writing an ethics application instead. But the ethics application is done now, and I figured I might as well write a post as it’s still Friday.
I have written these posts on a Friday because it’s part of an occasional series my sister does called Friday Feels, and I thought I’d get in on the action.
The three questions – just to remind those who haven’t been joining in – are:
- What made me happy this week?
- What made me laugh out loud this week?
- What did I do this week that I haven’t done in a long time?
- And then I choose an F-word.
My cousin Jen asked on Facebook if I’d thought about incorporating the F-word into my responses. As it turns out, I had, but I had resisted the urge to do just that.
No resisting today though folks. I’ll choose an F-word first, and then respond accordingly (or not!).
Frivolous/frivolity.
- What made me happy this week was not the frivolity that comes with your elderly (am I allowed to say that??) mother taking a tumble and ending up flat on the floor with blood pouring from her nose. There simply wasn’t any frivolity in that incident. What made me happy, however, was that she wasn’t otherwise hurt and the next morning was not feeling stiff or sore and did not have a black eye as we imagined she might. She was able to lift her (heavy) suitcase out of the car and wheel it all the way to the check-in counter (I didn’t help her because she’s an independent woman travelling independently – to the UK and beyond), smell all the perfume as she went through duty free, and then lay back in her comfy seat all the way to London. Fabulous. I aspire to that level of frivolity when I’m her age. Just not the falling over bit.
- What made me laugh out loud? Social media is a lot of things, but frivolous isn’t the first word that pops into my mind when I think about it. But some time ago I came across an account that is completely frivolous and I’m all for it. I am thoroughly enjoying Ben Fensome’s adaptation of the BBC’s 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice (the one with Colin Firth as Mr Darcy). You can find Ben’s adaptation on Instagram – his handle is @somebenfen. He plays all the parts and is amazing at playing the wet and ungainly Mr Collins and then smouldering as Mr Darcy. The episode I watched at lunch time had me laughing out loud. Pure frivolous delight!
- What did I do this week that I haven’t done in a long time? I went out. At night. To a show. A circus show. It was fabulous. And not at all frivolous. Second year students at NICA, the National Institute of Circus Arts, had developed a show titled Fall with Me and we decided to head along to opening night. What a treat! There were no clowns, and no bears chained up doing tricks. But there were a lot of very talented, strong, disciplined students who put their all into a very entertaining show. It was a testament to the type of education that embodies collaboration, care for each other, team work and dedication. They supported each other and worked brilliantly together. I left thinking that I need to get out and see more shows, and that there is a form of education left in the world that isn’t run by robots. And that made me happy.
What else?
My book is out!! I have held it in my hands. And it feels fabulous to have something that took a year to develop, now available for others to read and cogitate over and use as fodder for their own teaching practice. I’m seriously quite chuffed that it’s out in the world. The book is called Enacting a Pedagogy of Kindness and even though it’s directed at those in higher ed, I reckon it’s a good read for all teachers.
Here’s a photo of my co-editor and friend Airdre, holding her copy.
That’s my Friday Feels for another week. I give myself an F for failing to incorporate my F-word more fully, and Jen, I hope you can forgive me.
Musings from the cold 