Yes, I’m still pensando en español, thanks to the final exam I had tonight. Actually, it wasn’t that big of a deal, because I only had to get five points out of fifty to maintain my current average. It’s really nice to take a final exam that you’ve prepared for when there isn’t a whole lot of pressure to do well (besides the pressure I naturally place on myself). Not so with the chem final this Wednesday. I’m really worried about doing well on that exam so I’m going to be studying my brains out after work tomorrow. Unlike today, I’m not going to be blessed with a whole day of preparation, just tomorrow night. Wavelength = frequency/speed of light. Or was it the other way around?
So the exam tonight went pretty smoothly for me and my table buddies. But some of the other people in the class had some serious trouble. On one part of the exam, a very abbreviated form of the Christmas story was presented, along with a description of a Mexican city’s celebration of the season. Key verbs had been left out, and we were expected to fill in the appropriate conjugated forms from a list of verb infinitives at the top. Pretty straightforward right? Familiar, simple stuff, just fill out words and cross them out as you go. I’m sure you know how to take fill-in-the-blank tests.
Well, a few of the folks in my class were nearly in tears. They had slogged through to this portion of the exam and were getting nowhere. Finally they brought it up with the professor (who is an awesome language teacher!). These people didn’t know the Christmas story! At this I’ll admit I was dumbfounded. I had assumed that everybody living in the United States had at least a rudimentary knowledge of the Christmas story, all that was needed to easily complete that portion of the exam (if you’d studied your verbs). We always think of Christians as being the ones who are sheltered, but this? Sheesh! This guy has two kids. You mean to tell me that they’re going to grow up without the faintest idea of what Christmas is all about? You mean this adult managed to make it that far through his life without ever being exposed to the tale of Joseph, Mary, stables and shepherds? Get your head out of the stupid closet!
Everybody spends a lot of time and energy bashing those of differing religious and especially political views. It would make a whole lot more sense for people to expose themselves to a little more of the world first. I can’t stand ignorance, especially when the information is all around you. Quit blaming the president, the US, the “liberal agenda” or whatever else it is for all the problems you are having. Get out there and get informed first, and then see what you can do to fix those problems.
And read the damn Christmas story.
(I love Rachel)