14 February 2008

History (Mine and Ben Jonson's)

I attended a perfectly nice high school with a rigorous academic program and I had many very fine teachers. However, the sports program was also important, which is how I ended up with a number of teachers who were hired for their coaching skills and not their teaching skills. I know that many coaches are also great teachers, but mine were not. My most memorable coach/teacher was my driver's ed instructor (football coach) who called all the boys meathead and all the girls petunia. Oh, and my health teacher (football coach) who made us watch NASCAR because "you have to be in really good shape to drive those cars. Those boys are lookin' after their health." My European history teacher was a baseball coach. Somehow he made European history the most boring subject I've ever studied, which is absurd! European history is fascinating.

Did you know that Ben Jonson killed Gabriel Spencer in a duel? Apparently, Elizabethan actors were skilled fencers and it sometimes got them in trouble off the stage. Ben Jonson was released from a death sentence by reciting the "neck verse," a remnant of the medieval legal system that allowed the condemned to escape the gallows by reading from the Latin Bible.

Why didn't Coach teach us that?

I learned it, because I've been reading A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare, 1599. I'm also reading several chick lit books at the moment. They're teaching me lots of stuff I didn't learn in school, too. Like how to seduce a Scottish man.

5 comments:

Kirsten said...

MBC, since I don't fancy that I'll find myself at the gallows anytime soon I don't think I need to know what Ben Jonson knew, but if you could pass along the tidbits you glean from the chick-lit on how to seduce a Scottish man, those I think I can put to good use.

Courtney said...

I hear you on the coach as a teacher issue. (My friend got an A in a Math class she never attended because she would bring the coach/teacher breakfast every morning--shake head in disgust)

Yes, and please do pass on any seducing tips you feel might be helpful.

Lori said...

As I recall, that driver's ed teacher also always (always) had tremendous sweat stains under his arms. At least, that's what I took away from it...that and "aim high in steering".

Chou said...

Where are you meeting this scottish man? Does that mean more pond-hopping?

MBC said...

To seduce a Scottish man (according to my recent fiction reading):
1. Go to Scotland
2. Enter into a business venture that puts you at odds with a Scottish man
3. Spend a lot of time disagreeing with said Scottish man

Love follows.

OR

1. Go to Scotland
2. Become involved in a murder investigation

Love follows.

Lori--I don't remember the sweating, but I've blocked out a lot of high school memories so I'm sure you're right.

Chou--I do anticipate more pond hopping this year. Fingers crossed.

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