Redheads are called redheads because they have red hair. Makes sense. But blondes are not called Yellowheads. Brunettes are not called Brownheads or Blackheads. Blackheads is a term used for a specific type of pimple instead. But if the English language was logical we would refer to brunettes that way.
Bomb, Tomb and Comb are spelled identically aside from their first letter and yet they do not rhyme. And a silent 'B' at the end of each one? Why? Had these words originally been spelled 'Bom, Toom and Come' would anyone complain? Come is pronounced Cum even though it looks like it would be pronounced like comb which is spelled like it would sound like Com-Bee. And this is the language we demand people to learn?
Don't get me wrong, I think the guy in the Lotaburger Drive-Thru should have known what I meant when I said I wanted a Cheeseburger recently, but not everyone needs to learn English, a language that for all of it's good aspects also sucks in many ways as I just proved at the beginning. And why do we demand immigrants speak two languages when it is a skill so few Americans possess?
Almost everyone my age in France apparently speaks both French and English. Meanwhile, In America we get confused if Prince changes his name into a symbol. "How do I say that word?" "It's not a word, pal."
Many Americans are idiots. It is not "Anti-American" to say so anymore than it is anti-movie to say some of the movies you have seen in your life were bad. You've heard a song that was stupid, right? Does admitting that mean you are against ALL songs? No. Many Americans just happen to be stupid. Why is that? Is this because many of us are Yellowheads? No, I think we are simply too trusting. In a country so faith based, where so many of us believe in things despite their lack of imperical evidence, how can we be expected to question things? My own mom hates that I question everything.
"Some things just are the way they are!"she says. Actually this is not true. Even when we do not know the reason some thing is the way it is, there is a reason.Nothing is "Because it is".
And when I talk about this lack of questioning, I'm not just referring to religious folks. We have blind faith in our teachers, cops, doctors, firemen, priests and scientists. We trust them as though we know what each and every one went through to get where they are.
Yet, I, as a kid who got shitty grades growing up, convinced all my teachers as a junior in High School that it would be best if they let me make a film rather than doschool work and use all the other students as the cast so we could all learn "what it is to create."
As an adult, I actually think I was onto something but at the time I was just conning my school so I wouldn't have to do the work. (Nobody had to do school work for a few weeks).What does that tell you? It means that I, Tony, as a 16 year old boy, was too smart for my teachers OR worse, that they all knew what I was up to and were too lazy to do anything about it. So while good teachers exist, assuming most of them are great is a bit silly.
We distinguish street smarts from book smarts often subtly implying that book smarts is the way to go. Maybe. Depends on what book you are reading. Maybe you read dumb books. Street smarts isn't simply knowing how to throw a right hook. It can be sizing someone up, deciding for yourself at a young age if someone is being honest with you or if they're full of it. If you started attaining street smarts at age 8, aren't you 12 years ahead of the person who started at 20?
Books did not teach me how to be funny, be a dad or make love (3 things I value).
That being said, a recent poll I read (in a book) explained that most Americans cannot tell you who their favorite poet is OR they just blindly answer Shakespeare (a playwright) or Maya Angelou without knowing either of their work.
Don't get me wrong, one is not obligated to enjoy poetry. But it is nice to read some of the greats and then afterwards decide if you like them or not rather than prejudging it. So, yes, books are incredibly useful to a person who wants to be smarter.
There is a creepy "Anti-Book" trend going on right now. Sitcoms are filled with husbands and fathers who hate reading. Ever notice that? President Bush used to brag about how he wasn't a book learner. Books may not do everything for us, but they are essential.
The question I would like to pose to you is this: Before books or street smarts what did you have as a little toddler? Questions. You had questions. They are the #1 most vital element to not growing up to be a dumbass. Right now, you might be asking a question like,
"Why is Tony going back and forth?
Is he as bewildering as trying to find out his nation of origin? What the Hell is he anyway?"
Or you might be asking if I am a natural Yellowhead.
No. That was for a movie. However, I was born a Yellowhead and then in time turned into a dark brownhead or even a blackhead when my hair is wet.
I think I was around 2 years old when it changed for "no reason".
I'll ask my mom.
She loves questions.
written by Tony Santiago, please share this on Twitter or Facebook or whatever.
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