Remembering Dates

I share a birthday with Ludwig van Beethoven, December 16. That’s probably why, when I want to play classical music on my Amazon Echo I normally ask,  “Alexa,  play my Pandora Beethoven station.”   Of course Beethoven is awesome, but I lean towards the German master composer largely because we share a birthday.  I guess if you need a reason for doing something that is as good a reason as any.

I don’t forget my wedding anniversary because it’s Louis Armstrong’s birthday, August 4. Some people think his birthday was July 4 because that’s what Louis told people. During his lifetime Louis actually thought his birthday was July 4 because that’s what it said on his baptismal certificate. Years after he died, they found his birth certificate which indicated his actual birthday as August 4.  If my anniversary was July 4, I would probably have no problem remembering that.  So that’s a good way to remember things. Unless you’re Beethoven or Louis Armstrong, you won’t likely be able to ask Google when your wedding anniversary is.  But for most of us, we can find somebody famous who was born on the date of the momentous occasions in our lives. Google that!

Rate my teacher

If you’re a middle school principal, don’t ever read your reviews on Rate My Teacher, ever.  Ok, can you do me that favor, don’t ever read them? Promise me you won’t!? You’ll thank me for this.

Real people

Whenever we watch a commercial on television and the caption states, “Real people, not actors”, my son remarks, “Why? Aren’t actors real people?”

Security Questions

On secure websites, when you’re asked to provide some security questions they often ask, “Who was your best friend in high school?”   Notice, they never ask you who your best friend in middle school was. That’s because most middle school kids have a new best friend every three weeks. I know this because in June of every school year, parents will beg me to place their child’s best friend in their sixth grade class, so that they’ll feel more comfortable in the new school year.  I won’t do it.   The one time I relented when I was a new principal and placed the child with a friend, I got a call from the same parent the first day day of school begging me to change their child’s class because the two kids had a huge fight over the summer and couldn’t stand looking at each other.That’s how adolescence works. Kids try on new clothes, new music, and new friends every week.  

Nobody can remember who their best friend from middle school was, because they had a new one every few weeks.