Blah, blah, blah 2: Electric Bugaloo
Jul. 26th, 2009 01:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
orange_proseOkay, so, why The Snow Man matter to me, in 500 words or less. Or, at least, one hopes.
I think that you should not talk about things you don't know anything about. For instance, having never been homeless, talked to more than five homeless people, or done any research on the subject, I can't really talk about how they're just lazy. I do believe in "write what you know," but I think they make it too limiting. Women can write male characters, and men can write female characters. They can even do it well! But they should work at it, and think about it.
Anyway, what really got me on not assuming was two things in my life, which I will now put forward to you, in chronological order.
1) I was seven. This boy at my lunch table was being rude to me, and I made a comment about his mother that I can't remember now. (I was a real charmer, I know.) He looks sad, and tells me he's never met his mom. Yeah. Go small!me, once again.
2) Eighth grade. We are discussing a story in which a man walks up to random black children playing and takes pictures of them. Their parents are upset by this. He explains he's doing something about food stamps. (I can't remember what it was, but he needed pictures for this.)
Teacher: Why, children, were they angry that he did that?
Me: Because most people consider people who need food stamps poor, and--
Other Girl: I WAS ON FOOD STAMPS YOU SHOULDN'T ASSUME I HATE YOU AND YOU SUCK MY MOM'S A NURSE* WE HAVE THREE CARS YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!!!
Me:...
Teacher:...
Everyone else:...
Teacher: Okay, then, moving on...
Now, I think that I would have told her that she shouldn't assume I don't know what I'm talking about, and perhaps where to shove it. But it made an impression.
*This was actually in there somewhere, though I don't remember her actual wording. But everything in her dialogue she actually said, except for "I hate you" and "you suck," though she did tell me she hated me later. As in years later. I am now wondering if she remembers this. And if she'll see this.
I think that you should not talk about things you don't know anything about. For instance, having never been homeless, talked to more than five homeless people, or done any research on the subject, I can't really talk about how they're just lazy. I do believe in "write what you know," but I think they make it too limiting. Women can write male characters, and men can write female characters. They can even do it well! But they should work at it, and think about it.
Anyway, what really got me on not assuming was two things in my life, which I will now put forward to you, in chronological order.
1) I was seven. This boy at my lunch table was being rude to me, and I made a comment about his mother that I can't remember now. (I was a real charmer, I know.) He looks sad, and tells me he's never met his mom. Yeah. Go small!me, once again.
2) Eighth grade. We are discussing a story in which a man walks up to random black children playing and takes pictures of them. Their parents are upset by this. He explains he's doing something about food stamps. (I can't remember what it was, but he needed pictures for this.)
Teacher: Why, children, were they angry that he did that?
Me: Because most people consider people who need food stamps poor, and--
Other Girl: I WAS ON FOOD STAMPS YOU SHOULDN'T ASSUME I HATE YOU AND YOU SUCK MY MOM'S A NURSE* WE HAVE THREE CARS YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!!!
Me:...
Teacher:...
Everyone else:...
Teacher: Okay, then, moving on...
Now, I think that I would have told her that she shouldn't assume I don't know what I'm talking about, and perhaps where to shove it. But it made an impression.
*This was actually in there somewhere, though I don't remember her actual wording. But everything in her dialogue she actually said, except for "I hate you" and "you suck," though she did tell me she hated me later. As in years later. I am now wondering if she remembers this. And if she'll see this.
