Fundamental is Not Fun

Heard one day during school:

Kid -"Mom, I think all school work should be fundamental."
Me (eyebrows raised)"What do you think that means?"
Kid - "It means fun and educational, you know, fundamental!"
Me (eybrows down but trying not to laugh)"No, that's not what it means. It means basic."
Kid - "No. It's a made-up word. You just put fun and educational together and get fundamental."
And the battle was on. My weapon - a dictionary, the kid's - a knowledge of the usage of the word when adults are trying to make learning fun. I won by a narrow margin. I could definitely see why there was a misunderstanding. The thing is, the groups that are using it aren't exactly using it incorrectly, but just in a way that could be easily misunderstood based on context.

Here are some examples:

http://www.myparentime.com/categories/fun.shtml

and, ironically, http://www.rif.org/

It made me wonder if this is how some words change in meaning over time.

Now, I use slang and jargon about as much as the next middle aged mom, which means most of what I use is 20 years old and out of date, but misusing something to the point that kids misunderstand the real meaning of the word is different. It's been done before, though - intentionally and unintentionally. I can think of some choice words that have changed meaning over the last 50-100 years or so. Some of these words have changed so much that a person's whole reputation could ride on how he or she uses them.

English is clearly an evolving language. That's why we need a translator to read Chaucer. Some of the more recent changes in definition make reading classics to the kids challenging and sometimes even embarrassing as I have to decide whether to use the word in the text and explain what it used to mean or change it as I go along.

I wonder how much words will change in the next 20-30 years. Maybe by the time our kids are grown there will be an additional definition for "fundamental." I know one kid who will make a case for it.

Change in My Pocket

An old proverb says, "Change is the only constant." Whether you think change is constantly annoying, constantly exciting or constantly unpredictable, you must agree. We change our clothes, change our minds, change our attitude and sometimes even change our point of view.

Sometimes change is not something we choose to do. Sometimes change is something we don't want to do.

When I was little, we moved around quite a bit. Not as much as some military families I have known, but still, it was enough that I never lived in the same house more than four years. I went to a total of four elementary schools, two junior highs and one high school. I'm not griping about it, though. I have found that change, even change we don't want, can lead to things we would never know or experience - good things, life-changing things.

If I had never moved from Nebraska to Oklahoma, I would never have experienced ground that cracked open after a rain, horny toads, or my first best friend, Dana. I might never have been the mascot at a homecoming basketball game or been on a hair-raising ride on the back of a Shetland pony or attended school in an underground schoolhouse.

In the middle of my first grade year, we moved to Lawrence, Kansas. I woke up one morning after we had only been there a couple of days with incredibly sore jaws, yep - mumps. That was a new experience.

I finished first grade at Schwegler Elementary, but then we changed houses, so it was off to a new school for second grade. That was a BIG change. I attended Broken Arrow for second, third and fourth grade. It was a "pod" school, or "colony" school. I don't know who had this idea, but he or she was nuts. I never fit in and never felt comfortable at Broken Arrow, but again, I experienced things I would not have experienced without that change: Colony sings, guitar lessons, the worst teacher I ever had (yes, fourth grade was a character building year), and some new friendships. One of those friends, Kelly made me feel welcome at the school when I knew no one.

We moved again before fifth grade, and I finished out elementary school at Pinkney. My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Montgomery was the first teacher I ever had who really encouraged me. She took the time to pull me aside with my parents and compliment me on my writing in front of them. My sixth grade teacher, Mr. Grant, gave us an assignment that introduced us to journalism. I don't know if it was the timing, the teachers, or just what I was supposed to do, but these two years greatly influenced the course of my life. Without change, it might not have happened that way. I made some important friendships during those two years, too. Elyce, Regina, and Carmen are all friends who were a positive influence on me in many ways.

I won't talk to you much about junior high, because for everyone, junior high is all about change. There are to many changes to mention. Not all were positive, but they all had a purpose.

Personally, my life took a major detour during those years, however. It was between eighth and ninth grade that my parents separated and we moved to Arkansas. This was probably the biggest change I had ever experienced. Almost everything was different after we moved - culture, accents, style, language, living conditions, even the number of plates we used to set the table (going from four to three was one of the strangest things ever). It was all different. But Arkansas has become my home. I went to high school and college here, met and married my husband, had my kids, started my first job and made more lifelong friends like Michele and Ronna.

I have grown up here - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have lost loved ones and made many memories... and mistakes.

Now I am preparing for another big change. We are moving away from Arkansas, my home of 28 years and my house of eleven years. I know how hard change can be, but by experience, I know how rewarding it can be also.

So, with change in my pocket, or rather with the knowledge in my heart that change can lead to great things, I am ready. At least, that is what I'm telling myself.

Haiti

So, am I the only one who can't watch the Haiti coverage? I have given a donation and prayed for these people, but I can't watch the coverage. There is too much anguish, and I feel helpless. What will my small donation accomplish? Hopefully someone will be helped, but how many thousands won't?

I don't want to weigh down my blog with the heavy-duty subject of human suffering, so I will move off the subject, but take time to consider helping if you haven't already. We are soooo incredibly blessed in this country. You know you can cut out a trip to McDonalds or a couple of gourmet coffees this week and give money to help someone who has lost everything and is having trouble getting any food or clean water. I challenge you to help as much as you can. Here are some links:

http://donate.worldvision.org/OA_HTML/xxwv2ibeCCtpItmDspRte.jsp?item=1958776&lpos=top_txt_donate-to-earthquake-relief&section=10324&go=item&

http://www.redcross.org/

Bananas

Lana's Bananas - does that mean I am bananas or that this blog is a fruit basket of sorts, full of my meager musings. I'll let you decide. I welcome comments and admit to being human and therefore fallible in philosophy, words, actions, spelling and grammar. Consider these admissions, and be kind, please.