Comments on: gravespinning http://theunreliablenarrator.net/2010/03/gravespinning/ "bringing you all the news that's fit to mistrust" Tue, 08 May 2012 12:57:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: unnarrator http://theunreliablenarrator.net/2010/03/gravespinning/comment-page-1/#comment-186124 unnarrator Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:57:03 +0000 http://theunreliablenarrator.net/?p=2960#comment-186124 Footnote: that I seem to do the same adjectival thing with students/"high-school kids" AKA young people, though I go ahead and use nouns with them: "I overheard these students talking on the light rail, and OMG do you know what they said?!" Is their age important? Only in that it renders them acceptable targets for ridicule/scrutiny in my mind. I've been snobby for years about calling my college students "students" instead of "kids" (the more so because sometimes they're, you know, in their 50s and 60s). Now this. Lest you think I'm being too scrupulous, try it yourself. Next time you find yourself amused at what some teenagers or children are doing/saying, trying referring to them in your head as people. Just <em>people.</em> To me, it feels revelatory, and opens up closed spaces. Footnote: that I seem to do the same adjectival thing with students/”high-school kids” AKA young people, though I go ahead and use nouns with them: “I overheard these students talking on the light rail, and OMG do you know what they said?!” Is their age important? Only in that it renders them acceptable targets for ridicule/scrutiny in my mind.

I’ve been snobby for years about calling my college students “students” instead of “kids” (the more so because sometimes they’re, you know, in their 50s and 60s). Now this. Lest you think I’m being too scrupulous, try it yourself. Next time you find yourself amused at what some teenagers or children are doing/saying, trying referring to them in your head as people. Just people. To me, it feels revelatory, and opens up closed spaces.

]]>