Or How Behind Some Purchases, There Are Stories
I believe that this latest purchase of mine deserved a blog post, and I tried to make it as offensive as possible. Hey, at least it wasn’t Wal-Mart.
Anyhow, as a substitute teacher I had an assignment for multiple days in the month of May. It was a middle school, and 8th graders at that. Most of the days were okay, but the first three were extremely trying. A group of male students used language bordering on sexual harassment with the other teacher in the room, while remaining hostile to both teachers throughout the duration of the assignment. I commute to work via public transportation. And although the school was close, I took 2 buses. Instead of tolerating the wait for the second bus, and wanting to get some exercise that would let me let off some steam, I decided to walk the last 10 minutes, risking passing by a school whose philosophy I am oh so fond of (that was sarcasm). Anyhow, one morning, I got to work early, and I met two people in the teachers’ lounge who were giving away free breakfast. Of course I accepted, and they also suggested that I could win a $15 gift card to Target if I entered a drawing gave away my personal information for them to call me as representatives of their financial institution. So, I agreed, and low and behold, I won.
After those rough days with classes averaging about 40 students (unique circumstance–something about the state government interfering with ‘standardized testing’), I thought that this would certainly make up for it. Womanist and feminist theologians have huge qualms (as do I) with the notion that suffering is somehow redemptive. Personally, I am still struggling with this concept. I do remember one time, at a bible study, after telling my trying time at a work place setting, someone tried to re-assure me that I was going to be okay, that what I was going through would make me a better person, and I just eschewed of the thought instantly. My experience had not, and still has not made me a better person.
Similarly, when I got to Target today, I knew I had limits of what I could buy, and I had my choice (little to my knowledge–since part of Target’s greatness is that it has one-day specials for movies) of Aaron McGruders’s The Boondocks Season 3, Joss Whedon‘s Angel seasons 1 & 2, Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse Season 2, and Joss Whedon’s Firefly. Firefly won out, since I knew there was no way that it would ever be $16.99 ever again.
Does this purchase “redeem” my suffering I experienced at that middle school?
No, but it does make me all that much happier!
