One of my friends, Yes Ma'am, is about to start teaching sex ed to sixth graders. She is not allowed to actually discuss sex. Neither is she allowed to talk about STDs or prevention. She shared this with a group of us at dinner and because we're pathetically immature, she never got a chance to share with us her planned curriculum. We immediately wanted to know if she would be dressing like Gwyneth Paltrow in Glee. Her husband seemed particularly curious about this and a little crushed when Yes Ma'am said no. We made bawdy with our fried plantains and traded stories about our own sex ed experiences. My Quaker grammar school was by far the most progressive it turns out, although I'm fairly certain most of my classmates already knew everything. (It was the 70s, a decade of little mystery, and Cambridge, a city of little reticence.)
Our boisterous party had gathered at La Union in Arlington, VA, my favorite Salvadoran/Mexican restaurant in the DMV which would be a better compliment were it not also the only really good Tex-Mex food in the DMV. The restaurant is owned by one of the most amiable families you could ever hope to meet. Soyla, the wife, does most of the cooking with help from her husband, David, unless she kicks him out of the kitchen. Their son, José, runs the front of house and is completely charming. He actually gave me and mi novio a ride because we couldn't get a cab during one of our "blizzards" (two inches of snow). Soyla has been a professional chef for years and her background and training come through in the exquisite dishes that keep me crossing the big waters like one of Chaucer's more decadent pilgrims. Especially sinful are the beef enchiladas, the chiles rellnos de queso (the latter are not on the menu, but they are usually available if you ask), and the pupusas revueltas with pork and cheese accompanied by a great curtido.
José and his wife are expecting their second child and at the end of our ribald repast I inquired about the newest addition. Everything was perfect, but when they went in for the latest sonogram, the smallest member of this clan crossed its legs and hid its sex.
4 comments:
You write beautifully. I would follow your adventures on television if I didn't have the privilege of knowing you in person!
PS: the fact that she must teach sex ed without talking about sexual health breaks my heart.
Ave Agrippina! Thank you for the accolades; you are too kind.
It is heartbreaking, isn't it?
Wow, I can't even imagine having to teach sex ed without really getting into, you know, sex. I mean, it *is* what the course is about.
I mean, I can see for elementary school kids why you wouldn't go there. I think they basically did the whole "your voice is gonna change, some of you are gonna grow like weeds, others of you aren't gonna grow more than you are now (hope you enjoyed peaking in the fourth grade!)." The girls got a book about ovulation with the requisite flowers and rainbows :)
I do recall back in middle and high school getting the full talk on STDs, pregnancy, etc. They really didn't try to hide anything.
I suppose at least you can say it's not abstinence-based :)
Love reading your blog. Every post so far has been *incredibly* witty and a joy to read!
Jason, I honestly was floored that she had to avoid anything remotely useful. They told us everything in my school and no one freaked out. It wasn't very explicit or detailed, but we got the point.
And thank you again! The encouragement is more appreciated than you can know :)
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