Goertz Thoughts

I can't say #MeToo. I'm a male and, in many ways, on the "good" side of the double standard. This isn't even to correct forum for much of what I feel needs to be said (too many students read this blog). However, I really need to talk about a problem with one of our (not mine) beloved Christmas songs. Each year, when we return from Thanksgiving break, I treat my students to a variety of lectures on problems with Christmas. I talk about the theological damage that Santa can cause (more on that in a later post). I talk about how annoying and odd the song "Christmas Shoes" is. Most seriously, I talk about the problems highlighted (highlit?) by "Baby It's Cold Outside". I love a lot of what Frank Loesser wrote ( Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying ). It's easy to write off this song as a product of a society that didn't respect the rights of women. The continuing popularity of the song shows that we a...

I seldom stop to think how important everyday items are: lightbulbs, windows, tables, toilets. Oh, and toilet paper! (I really think that if society ever collapses, I will miss plumbing the most. I really enjoy the fact that my excretions go somewhere when I pull a handle). Recently, my oven broke. It is an old oven, probably around 22 years now. It had been showing signs of age for a while. I kept telling myself "It will be fine. It can last a few more months." And then, it wasn't fine. The bottom heating element went out so I had to cook everything on broil. I opened up the circuit panel and hit things with a screwdriver. That fixed it for a few weeks, but then it started to overheat. I lost a whole pan of bacon and bacon isn't cheap! I could just order a new oven, but they don't make ovens the same size anymore. The width is fine, but modern ovens are 4 inches shorter than mine. I don't have time during the year to do even a small remodeling project. ...

You really should have seen Godspell  this weekend. It was great. Probably the most technically proficient musical that Savio has done so far. While most of the parables presented in the show come from the Gospel of Matthew (while typing this, I just got the pun Godspell...Gospel. I'm a bit slow sometimes), there is one in particular that come from  Luke 12:16-21 . It is the parable of the rich fool. It warns of the danger of putting too much stock in planning. It got me thinking about how we as humans live our lives. I really don't think that most of us (myself included) focus enough on the present moment.  Now, I'm not saying we should live hedonisticly "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you may die" is a horrible motto. If you don't die, you'll be sick and hung over. Nor am I saying that we should ignore the past. Your scrapbooks are amazing. I swear I didn't cry when reading them. Why would you even suggest such a thing? Al...

So, I've been under pressure from seniors to start a blog. They said they will read it and as a teacher, I can't pass up any excuse to get students to read. Since this is the last week for seniors, I'm going to focus on the last few things I want them to know before they graduate. However, these are good lessons for everyone. In class, I often use the phrase "If there's one thing I can teach you before you graduate...". Some have pointed out that the "one thing" changes daily, but that's fine. They can all be the one. So here's a top 10 list of advice for graduating seniors. 1. No one can force you to do anything.     Life is all about choices. Just because you don't like the alternatives doesn't rob you of your ability to choose. 2. High school is not the best time of your life.     You've just begun to live. If these were the best years, that would be a sad life. College (while fun) is also not the best time of your...