I'm Not Cool

Have you ever sat back and just watched a group of kids? I don't mean siblings, or even cousins. I mean a group of kids who are unrelated, and forced to interact with one another in a social setting. Have you ever just observed?

I have. I do it almost every day of my life. As I was going through the daily routine today, watching my students work in small groups, play together on the playground, and have conversations in the cafeteria, something occured to me. "Cool" is not in their vocabulary. Okay, so they say it all the time: "that is sooo cool!" or "Mom, stop, you're being uncool!". But do they really know what it means? I am convinced that they do not.

I have a little girl in my class who came to school today in a Tweety Bird jumper with bows in her hair. She looked absolutely adorable, but I do not think she was worried about looking "cool". There is another group of girls who bring their dolls or ponies to school every day and carry them everywhere with them. Is this sweet? Absolutely. Is it the "cool" thing to do? Probably not. I have boys who pick pink when asked what color construction paper they want. I have girls who play football at recess, and boys who play house. I have boys who draw flowers and girls who draw dinosaurs. When we turn the cd player on for class parties, everyone dances, and they don't seem to care who is watching them.

My point here is that when you are in the third grade, you are who you are. There is nobody more real than a little kid. They are not busy trying to be somebody they are not, or pretending to like someone or something they don't. They are into what they are into, and that is that. Until about 5th or 6th grade, when "fitting in" becomes a life goal, I truly believe that kids just really want to have fun.

I went into this school year hoping to teach my students some valuable lessons they could take with them up the hallway. As it turns out, they have taught me an important one: just be youself and enjoy the life you are given.

The next time I am at a get-together with my friends, I will dance too. Who cares if I can't follow a beat to save my life? This does not make me an uncoordinated idiot. It just means I can't dance.

The next time somebody asks me what shows I am into, I will tell them I like the Disney Channel. Who cares if it is a kids' channel? This does not make me immature. It just means I like Disney.

The next time someone asks me what music I like, I will admit to them that I like Hilary Duff. Who cares if she is a teeny-bopper craze? This does not make me a teen idol wanna-be. It just means I like her music.

The next time I am running errands with no make-up, my hair a mess, and wearing "lounging clothes", I will not worry about running into someone I know. Who cares if I don't look my best? This does not make me a slob. It just means I like to be comfortable when I can be.

And the next time someone asks me if I am a Christian, I will tell them yes, without hesitation. Who cares what they think of it? This does not make me a person who will judge their every move and preach at them. It just means I have a relationship with my Lord and Savior.

Most importantly, I will try to remember that people can easily lose respect for someone who hides things, lies, or tries to be someone they're not. Nobody can really lose respect for someone just being real.

There is a song I hear occasionally on the radio, and I love the chorus:
"I'm not cool, that's okay, my God loves me anyway. I'm not cool, that's all right, I'm still precious in his sight. I'm not cool, I don't care, how I'm supposed to do my hair. I'm not cool, that's okay, my God loves me...my God loves me anyway."

I find these lyrics to be totally liberating.