Thursday, November 08, 2007

TAG



Well I usually ignore tags, with a little inner thrill at my own lately-discovered assertiveness.

In the last couple of weeks I nearly found myself taking on not 1 but 2 new significantly-responsible roles at work. In the nick of time I recognised the route I was taking and the mire of stress and overwork towards which it led. With a sigh of relief I shook my head clear and said - assertively - "No No No!".



[I took on one of them. The smaller one. Which is ok. I could - WOULD - have said no if i'd wanted to, honest.)



Actually - I hadn't meant to write about assertiveness - but now I think about it, I've been doing well lately.

A third year student tried last week to emotionally blackmail his way into one of my classes, although it is now week 6, too late for pedagogical reasons as well as too late by university regulations. His final line of argument was that if I didn't let him join the course then he wouldn't be able to graduate next summer.

(This wasn't the only untrue thing he said)

He did make me feel pressured and bad.
But I said No.


[As well as offering constructive suggestions as to what he could and should do about his existing courses, and staff who could and would be able to help him sort it out.]



Am I writing this because of niggling guilt?
I don't think so.



So I decided to do this tag from Wendz because its an easy peasy one and I wasn't sure what else to blog about. And see, I needn't have bothered, because look how the words emerge when you start to write.

I'll do the tag anyway, because I decided to do so, of my own free will.

But rather than tag any of you, I will let you make up your own independent free-thinking minds.


"List one fact, word or tidbit that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your first or middle name. You can theme it to your blog or make it general. Then tag one person for each letter of your name."


Oh bum. I've just realised that I was thinking about this tag in terms of my RL name, which has only 5 letters.

Dilemma now. Shall I reveal and use my very own true personal name? Or shall I use the 7-lettered "Lettuce", which only has one letter in common with that? Or I could use my true personal middle name? but that has 9 letters in it.


I think it has to be the longer, middle name, don't you?
I like a challenge.


Sometimes.

When its a matter of my own free choice.


E - elated by exercise of recently-discovered assertiveness

L - lazy because one outcome of the previous is that I am doing less work - at work and at home.

I - in my pajamas and cosy comforting slippers and dressing gown, even though its 10.30 am. Not unrelated to the previous two, also due to LG being off school sick. No 6.30am alarm for us this morning, what a joy.

Z - zooming off to New York, Pennsylvania and Washington next April. Tickets booked. Can't wait. (Also not unrelated to newly assertive lifestyle.)

A - aching arms and legs from recent return to yoga and to cycling.

B - buying the odd possibly C*******s-related gift, while also trying to ignore the date and impending festivities.

E - exhausted by ongoing miserable peri-menopausal stuff

T - thinking about Control, which I saw on Monday. Bleak and tragic, as expected of course, but an excellent film, beautifully shot and an uncannily perfect evocation of the 70's.

H - have to go and get breakfast now.



So have a go at this yourself, if you want to of course.


And if you want a good laugh, look at this excellent post written by Jay at Kill the Goat.

17 comments:

tut-tut said...

I'm glad you're using your self-empowerment for good, not evil! Enjoyed the trip over to Jay's post.

Sick days are more boon than bane, usually, aren't they?

Trac said...

T - Tearful and tired for

R - Reasons that can be discussed

A - At a suitable time over

C - Coffee or alcoholic beverages (or both)



haha - I almost wrote 'cocktails' instead of coffee then! :O)

Reya Mellicker said...

R - eally
E - excited
Y - ou're coming to
A - merica

to visit with me and Gary and Steve.

Y A Y !!!!

As for your rude student, good for you to set a boundary. It'll help him far more than if you bent the rules to get him in the class. Bravo!!

B - e
R - eally
A - ssertive
V - ery assertive!!
O - h yeah!!

lettuce said...

they are in some ways Tut-Tut, though I think my hands smell of sick.
:o/

Its a long while since i had a cocktail Trac (G&T obviously doesn't count). I'll be right in touch!
xx

haha Reya, you are funny. Yay indeed.

Akelamalu said...

Elizabeth is such a lovely name :)

Queenie said...

Yay! your middle name is my first name. Isn't it strange that folks always blame you when they are the ones who make the mistakes? Math said I need to go on an assertive course, cos I just can't say NO!!!!

y.Wendy.y said...

W - why did that cow
E - Eve
N - nibble that apple?
D - damn her for the
Y - years of hell she created for women.


I hear you.

ps..If coffee and Trac are in the offing count me in...I miss Greenwich.

mouse (aka kimy) said...

I'm stealling reya's comment as it sums up my response to your letter Z!!

R - eally
E - excited
Y - ou're coming to
A - merica

washington - DC?? if so let me know; I go often (given my parents still live there) in fact will be there in early december. perhaps I'll get a chance to meet ms. r

you also mentioned pennsylvania - if it's western PA then another opportunity.... and if you need/want/desire to visit cleveland, let me know there's room on avenue C to put up any number of lettuce leaves! and I love being a 'tour guide'

I empathize completely with your student tale...in a past life had quite a few of those myself. good for you - never back down!

Gary said...

I feel I know you but in reality I don't even know your name. Odd that. Yet, I hope to coax it out of you over a wonderful dinner when you visit us in April.

I have no clever play with my name but I did enjoy Reya's bit.

lettuce said...

It is, KLulu. :)

Queenie (Elizabeth) (Liz?) (Beth?) - it gets easier with practice!

haha Wendz. though I think she's already had more than enough flack (sp?) for it. (and she had better reasons for eating it than stooopid adam...)

Kimy - yay! and yay again! it would be brill. to meet you too. we must liaise.

Gary - Gorgeous And Rather Yummy? i might whisper it to you if it is indeed a wonderful dinner. :o)

Dumdad said...

An award awaits you at my blog.

The fabric of my life said...

Oooooooh wqe share the same middle name. I love it and bestowed my 3rd child with it too!

D - Delirious with excitement at the prospect of meeting up with you (tomorrow?)

O - Over the moon that I am going to have 3 child-free days.

N - Not thinking about how early I have to get up tomorrow.

N - Needing this tme off like you wouldn't believe.

A - Am so excited that I am meeting up with you (did I say that already?)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the comments on my livejournal. I know it is a shame that it does not allow you to leave your blog address. As long as you sign it Lettuce I will know it is you. I have you bookmarked.

Pod said...

P -erhaps a little
O-dd?
D-efinitely!

x

Lynne said...

ouch, my letters don't bring much fun to think of

L - leave-taking is an exhausting endeavor
Y- why? ... because
N-nothing in this life should be taken for granted
N-never say never
E - eek, I've been horribly negative!

Sorry, Letty, I couldn't come up with anything clever.

xx

lettuce said...

DumDad I'm honoured.

Donna it was so fab to meet you again and have longer to really talk... lets not leave it another year till next time?

lynette - its ok, i don't take it personally. ;op

P-ersonally
O-ne
D-oubts it.
(or maybe not....)

Lynne - thats ok. Sometimes its ok - necessary actually - to be negative. thinking of you. xx

Steve Reed said...

Can't wait to see you in NYC! I'm so glad Gary and Reya will be along, too!

I'm going to have to think about this name thing. But I will say that my Mom once told me I was going to be named Elizabeth if I'd been a girl. For what THAT's worth. :)