I am a fan of....

 

I am a fan of Facebook.  It's true.  It has provided hours of mindless entertainment. I also have been able to keep in closer contact with my college girlfriends, colleagues, family, and former students.  

 

I love knowing that the children I have taught are growing into self sufficient adults.  Some of them have gone places I have only dreamed about, such as Kenya, South Africa, Ireland, and England, or had nightmares about, such as Siberia.  (I'm not sure why she is there, but I've seen the pictures of her bundled up in that frozen tundra. She's definitely there.) 

 

One former student recently wrote about taking the notoriously crowded train in London to his internship, "and after almost falling backward, I take my two square feet. I move my backpack to my front. I find a good stance to steady myself against the train’s jerky start. And then I realize my head (MY HEAD) is in the door’s way. With nowhere else to go, I rest my head against a woman’s back, in her blonde hair. That’s right: in. her. blonde. hair. I can’t imagine how awkward SHE felt."

 

I particularly like it when they become amusing self sufficent adults. 

 

Once you are a fan of Facebook, (the husband of one of my colleagues calls it divorcebook since she spends so much time on it), you learn that you can become a fan of other things with just the click of the mouse.  It's as simple as searching for what you love (grilling out, motherhood, God), finding the page, and clicking on "become a fan."  Facebook then adds the link to your info page and proclaims to everyone you know that you are a fan of (insert fan favorite here). 

 

There seems to be a page for everything.  A friend is a fan of Target, sarcasm, the beach, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, money, being lazy, sleeping, Hell's Kitchen, and summer.  My sister is a fan of Eric Clapton, Forest Gump, McDonald's, drinking around a bonfire, and cowbell.  Really, Judy?  Cowbell?

 

I am not a fan of many things on Facebook, but I think my list would look like this:

 

I am a fan of...

• patience.  Ismael has far more of it than I do.
• Diet Coke.  There really aren't words to describe the nearly life long love affair I have with this beverage. 
• tortillas.  I cannot think of a single food I wouldn't eat if it was served to me on a warm tortilla with some cheese and sour cream.  This must be how fish tacos found their way onto various menus.
• Jasmine rice.  If you have never tried this, go buy some tonight.  It is sweet, tender, and fragrant.  It is also off limits in our house as it decimates any control Ismael had over his blood sugar.
• pork.  Oh, yes.  Give me a good barbecue anyday.  Because of Ismael, I have grown to love chicken pizza, but I occasionally have clandestine meetings with this wonderful meat.
• going to bed early.  Apparently my son is too.  He hit they hay at 5:56 PM tonight.
• cooking.  When I'm not exhausted from school, I love to cook a good meal for Ismael. 
• Kraft Food and Family recipes and one pot/skillet meals of all kinds.  When I am exhausted, these will do.
• people in history who have undergone great struggle.  I think that's what drew me to concentrate on black history and civil rights during grad school.

While I was doing laundry, putting away groceries, cooking dinner, and cleaning the kitchen simultaneously, I began to think about the things I am NOT a fan of.  Namely all of the activities I was engaged in at that moment.  Facebook doesn't have the option for being against things.  Maybe I should drop that in their suggestion box.

 

I am NOT a fan of...

• folding laundry.  My cousin calls it the Devil's Chore.  How right she is.  There is a huge pile in the bedroom now that you would need a grappling hook and some rope to scale. I am conveniently ignoring it.

• Wolf Blitzer and the Situation Room.  Ismael watches all three hours of it, every day.  Fifteen hours of Wolf a week plus a few more on Sunday is way too much.  He’s like a rude houseguest who talks incessantly and just won't leave.

• emptying the silverware tray from the dishwasher.  I literally despise this.  I will often empty every other item from the appliance, but leave the silverware in for another go around, hoping Ismael will catch it next time.  I don't think he likes it either because sometimes I find that he hasn't sorted the clean stuff, just dumped it in the drawer.  Well, even I could stand to do that.

• taking out the trash.  I don't think I've done this since I started dating Ismael.  He thought he was being chivalrous; I considered it a job interview.

• being unappreciated.  Ismael has learned to say thank you periodically for my efforts.  I've been known to go on strike and after about three days of no meals, no clean dishes, etc. he figures out that a simple thank you goes a very long way.

• working.  I do like my job; but I desperately want to stay home with my son. 

• prejudice in all of its forms.  I've never had much tolerance for it.  After I married Ismael, my own father disowned me. Although I knew it would happen when he found out about my relationship, I couldn't let it rule my life.  I had to make my decisions independent of his beliefs.

And of course, I am a fan of my family.  They love me unconditionally even when I leave the trash and the silverware for someone else to do. :)