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Friday, November 30, 2007

Teach

Your children well.


CSNY - "Teach Your Children"


Today Kate and I made a trip to civilization (AKA Salisbury, MD) to do some Christmas shopping and spotted something a little like this in the parking lot:



Katie P. yelled in amazement, "Look at 'dat car!"


There was a brief pause, during which I anticipated a follow-up exclamation like "it's so pretty!" or "why, oh why can't we have 'dat?". Instead she shouted a vehement and emphatic...


"TACKY."


Then she warbled a little Katie song "TACKY, TACKY, TACK, TACK. TACKY TACKY TACKY TACK" as she skipped into the store.




As Clairee says in Steel Magnolias; "Your Momma raised you right!".


Yeah, I'm crunchy-granola, liberal and all that, but I have taste, too.



Later, exhausted by her brush with tastelessness, Kate napped in her brand new hat. We bought it today and she refused to remove it. It came in handy when, as she muttered in her drowsiness, "de sun bodderin' me".

Another Clairee quote comes to mind, "the only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize".

And criticize, I suppose, Clairee.

This post is for you, Yo Yo. It is essential to the survival of our species that we had down knowledge through the generations. Wanted you to know I am working hard at it.

12 comments:

utenzi said...

I had a girlfriend once who had a purple car--I can't say I liked it much. Tacky would probably apply to it also though not the girl. Just the car.

Teach Your Children has such nice lyrics. I'm not sure if all the CSNY life lessons would be good ones but I'm sure they meant well.

Michele sent me over to say hi.

sage said...

cute story--does sound like her momma raised her right! Now I'm off to find your Outer Banks post. Thanks for the visit to my blog.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

That is such a beautifuylly colorful hat...! Very very pretty!
I love her saying and then singing, "Tacky"....LOL!

I always loved that line about accessorizing....! Great Line!

Anonymous said...

That's very funny, You're right it is important to teach kids about taste, both good & bad.
Michele sent me to snicker in amusement at your daughter's opinions!
http://bunnylogic.wordpress.com/

TheArthurs said...

You wouldn't love me if I didn't remind you to edit to read "we hand down knowledge..." I know, but former b**ch of an English teacher that I am, I can't help myself.
Bet you a buck that when Katie spotted that car, she got that "feelin' polyester" look that I've heard runs in your family.
We decorated the abode for Christmas today (lovely, since we've had a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain all day - I'm still in my pajamas!), and I'm feeling all warm and seasonable. Even though we love the winter weather and the fact that Pat just ran out to pick up fantastic take-out Thai food, we miss you and your 60-degree weather.
Oh, and Gus calls Crab Rangoon - "Crab Bam Goo!"

Anonymous said...

Damn! Where did the proof-read fairy git to? That's one bad thing about spell-check...

Janice, remind me to tell you a wildly funny "feelin' polyester" story during one of our phone chats. HI-larious, but Mom wouldn't like me to post it, would you, Mom?

TheArthurs said...

If it's a Brookie story, I've got to hear it!

Anonymous said...

You know my friend Sharon who doesn't even blog has been popping over here because you are so darned funny! Tacky! I love her!

Anonymous said...

I feel like my work is complete!!!

Anonymous said...

Amy and Tracy,
So glad to find your blog and that you found mine!! I know I will thoroughly enjoy reading what you write - my short people became taller than me quite a few years ago, and I am missing my short people so much!! Glad, too, that you got to hear some of my music!! Will look forward to reading and hearing more!

I had a beige car once that was completely covered with bumper stickers, so that one could not tell what color it might really be. It was my favorite car ever - a '66 VW bug. My first car. And I drove it all up and down the East Coast!! It was a hippie car back in the day! I still remember that car fondly. I had a job during the years that I owned cleaning houses at Hound Ears Country Club, an upscale development outside of Boone, and right down the road from my house. Lots of big money. I was stopped at the gate one day on my way to clean a house to be told that one of my bumper stickers was "tacky" and "offensive" to members of the country club and that I was to remove it if I was to continue working there.

Duct tape was my solution!! I just stopped at the gate every day that I was working up among the high dollars and taped over the aforementioned tacky bumper sticker, then stopped on my way out and removed the tape. The guard in the gate house and I became fast friends!!

"Teach Your Children" is one of my favorite songs of all times. "A Prayer for Owen Meany" is also one of my all time favorite books. I'd forgotten it when I filled out my profile. My son, Jacob, is a sophmore at Carolina, and just gave me a copy of "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" - I've just started it, but think I'm going to love it, too!

You must be a hippie at heart!!
Take care.
Lisa Stevens
"Thinking Out Loud" blogger

Be Inspired Always said...

Great post. I love how your daughter sleeps in the car.


Jillian

Melody said...

Oh gee - don't kids just say the most amazing things at times!!! Monet can embarrass me, no end! Makes me giggle though... But your daughter was pretty much spot on, that car is tacky. Imagine driving around in a car that colour - imagine the looks you'd recieve. Uh-uh. No thanks...