School House Rock
I work hard. I mean really hard. Most of my adult life i've always had two jobs so I could afford the things people with college degrees could. Now its not because i'm scholastically challenged i'm far from that. As my parents and family would say " Slish yuh just DAMN LAZY!!!!
It started in the 8th grade parent teachers night. It was my dads turn to come to school. He met with my Lil sister's teachers first they all gave her praises. My sister was a little nerd in elementary school Big wide glasses, braces and read Judy Blume books all damn day. I hated that she got better grades than me.
Pops eventually made his way to my 8th grade teacher Ms Guarino's class. " Good evening Mr Slish Sr " Pops responds " Good evening Ms Guarino" Ms Guarino says " Please you and Slish have a seat" Pops " Thank you" both of us sit down. Ms Guarino " I would like to show you a couple of Slish's test scores " Pops shoots me a this better be good look as she hands him this sheet of paper. Ms Guarino says "As you can see Slish's test scores are very sporadic ranging from 70's to 90's which leads me to believe that your son is not trying hard enough its almost if he picks and chooses the subjects he wants to do well in " SHIT!!!!! thats all my dad needed to hear and responds" Slishy is not DUMB!!! Are you calling my son dumb!!!! Ms Guarino responds " No Mr Slish Sr i'm calling him lazy he needs to work harder. If he doesn't, he won't get into a good High School." I start shaking my head side to side cause my life is about to be over Pops says " We'll see about that!!! " We both leave.
On the way home my pops is Yelling " Yuh and dem damn bwoy dem pon di street" then flips out of his accent and says sternly " You are not dumb that teacher is wrong you WILL get into to a good high school. You better do well on that coop exam and YOU WILL!!! apply to those schools Ms Guarino said you would not get into " I say " But dad??!! " Pops says " BUT WHAT!!!! YUH HEARD ME!!!
About a month later I take the coop exam. The High Schools I applied to were Spellman, Iona Prep, and Fordham Prep. 3 of the top schools in NYC. Now back then you didn't get the test results for that exam. High Schools contacted each student individually letting them know if they got in or were to dumb to attend. Getting into those schools I mentioned earlier Let everyone know you had BIG BRAINS!!!! Getting into a school like Scanlan or Blessed Sacrament told everyone you were a slacker or scholastically challenged. Cause they took anyone who could read.
The letters came in the mail a few weeks later. The 1st one came from Iona Prep " CONGRATULATIONS Mr Slish you have been accepted ( Or something like that) . This is great I thought to my self Good and Plenty and my cousin Bowie were also accepted by Iona and they planned on attending . I told my pops "Dad I got into Iona Prep. I want to go there." Pops responds " Thats good Slishy but I think I know whats best for you we'll wait and see what the other schools say." Shit!!!! My father had a lot of pride back then NO teacher knew his kid better than him. He was holding out for a response from Fordham Prep. If I got into that school it would prove that Ms Guarino was wrong. 2nd letter came in the mail CONGRATULATIONS BLAH BLAH BLAH you have been accepted to Spellman. Dad didn't flinch he still wasn't happy until he heard from Fordham. 3rd letter came it was from Fordham Prep BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH CONGRATULATIONS you have been accepted. ???????????? HOW THE HELL COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED!!!!! My dad was grinning from ear to ear " Slish take this letter to Ms Guarino tommorrow and show it to her. Your Going to Fordham. " DAMN DAMN DAMN!!!!
The following year I entered Fordham Preporatory School. I struggled a bit my 1st year. Only went to summer school for two weeks. Second year proved to be more difficult I was having a hard time asked my pops if I could transfer to another school. His answer " YOUR NOT COPPING OUT!!! A tear trickled down my eye as my dad walked out of my bedroom that day. Then I heard a whisper in my head " Slish fail every subject. If you do that Fordham Prep will have to kick you out " Heeeey thats not a bad idea. People let me tell ya my brain shut down for the rest of the school year. I had succeeded in failing 5 out of 7 classes . My plan was working now it was time for part B . Plead with my mother to get me out of the school. That would be easy since she had already seen my Horrible report card. She reluctantly agreed but under one condition my next school would be chosen by her. Shit I jumped at that deal anything was better than this Academic Hell I was in...
11th grade I found myself attending New Rochelle High School( Public School). Technically I should have gone to a High School in my neighborhood but my parents would not let any child of theirs attend a public school in the bronx. I was in heaven. No Uniform I could wear jeans and sneakers everyday of the week. Finally GIRLS!!!!! Fordham was an all boys school. Having girls in my class caused me to study harder. I wasn't an athlete so my claim to High School fame would be my intellect and style of dress.
I finished my last two years of High School at New Ro and became quite popular. Even developed a love for art. When I graduated I attended one of the Top art colleges in NYC The School Of Visual Arts. But then I discovered I didn't have the attention span to attend college. It was too easy not to go to class it wasn't like the school would call your house and tell on you. I dropped out in 1 semester. I made lackluster attempts to go back a few times , but my heart just wasn't in it.
Now I have no one to blame but myself. I had every opportunity to finish school, but I chose this path and must live with my decision. Although it gets a little rough at times i've managed to keep my head above water and accomplish some of the things my college counterparts have. Even though it took me having 2 or 3 jobs.
Despite all this my mother and father are quite proud of me. Quoting my mom " Slish your a hustla. I wouldn't be suprised if you became the 1st millionnaire in this family. Just make sure our mortgage gets paid in full when that happens "
No problem Mum.....
It started in the 8th grade parent teachers night. It was my dads turn to come to school. He met with my Lil sister's teachers first they all gave her praises. My sister was a little nerd in elementary school Big wide glasses, braces and read Judy Blume books all damn day. I hated that she got better grades than me.
Pops eventually made his way to my 8th grade teacher Ms Guarino's class. " Good evening Mr Slish Sr " Pops responds " Good evening Ms Guarino" Ms Guarino says " Please you and Slish have a seat" Pops " Thank you" both of us sit down. Ms Guarino " I would like to show you a couple of Slish's test scores " Pops shoots me a this better be good look as she hands him this sheet of paper. Ms Guarino says "As you can see Slish's test scores are very sporadic ranging from 70's to 90's which leads me to believe that your son is not trying hard enough its almost if he picks and chooses the subjects he wants to do well in " SHIT!!!!! thats all my dad needed to hear and responds" Slishy is not DUMB!!! Are you calling my son dumb!!!! Ms Guarino responds " No Mr Slish Sr i'm calling him lazy he needs to work harder. If he doesn't, he won't get into a good High School." I start shaking my head side to side cause my life is about to be over Pops says " We'll see about that!!! " We both leave.
On the way home my pops is Yelling " Yuh and dem damn bwoy dem pon di street" then flips out of his accent and says sternly " You are not dumb that teacher is wrong you WILL get into to a good high school. You better do well on that coop exam and YOU WILL!!! apply to those schools Ms Guarino said you would not get into " I say " But dad??!! " Pops says " BUT WHAT!!!! YUH HEARD ME!!!
About a month later I take the coop exam. The High Schools I applied to were Spellman, Iona Prep, and Fordham Prep. 3 of the top schools in NYC. Now back then you didn't get the test results for that exam. High Schools contacted each student individually letting them know if they got in or were to dumb to attend. Getting into those schools I mentioned earlier Let everyone know you had BIG BRAINS!!!! Getting into a school like Scanlan or Blessed Sacrament told everyone you were a slacker or scholastically challenged. Cause they took anyone who could read.
The letters came in the mail a few weeks later. The 1st one came from Iona Prep " CONGRATULATIONS Mr Slish you have been accepted ( Or something like that) . This is great I thought to my self Good and Plenty and my cousin Bowie were also accepted by Iona and they planned on attending . I told my pops "Dad I got into Iona Prep. I want to go there." Pops responds " Thats good Slishy but I think I know whats best for you we'll wait and see what the other schools say." Shit!!!! My father had a lot of pride back then NO teacher knew his kid better than him. He was holding out for a response from Fordham Prep. If I got into that school it would prove that Ms Guarino was wrong. 2nd letter came in the mail CONGRATULATIONS BLAH BLAH BLAH you have been accepted to Spellman. Dad didn't flinch he still wasn't happy until he heard from Fordham. 3rd letter came it was from Fordham Prep BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH CONGRATULATIONS you have been accepted. ???????????? HOW THE HELL COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED!!!!! My dad was grinning from ear to ear " Slish take this letter to Ms Guarino tommorrow and show it to her. Your Going to Fordham. " DAMN DAMN DAMN!!!!
The following year I entered Fordham Preporatory School. I struggled a bit my 1st year. Only went to summer school for two weeks. Second year proved to be more difficult I was having a hard time asked my pops if I could transfer to another school. His answer " YOUR NOT COPPING OUT!!! A tear trickled down my eye as my dad walked out of my bedroom that day. Then I heard a whisper in my head " Slish fail every subject. If you do that Fordham Prep will have to kick you out " Heeeey thats not a bad idea. People let me tell ya my brain shut down for the rest of the school year. I had succeeded in failing 5 out of 7 classes . My plan was working now it was time for part B . Plead with my mother to get me out of the school. That would be easy since she had already seen my Horrible report card. She reluctantly agreed but under one condition my next school would be chosen by her. Shit I jumped at that deal anything was better than this Academic Hell I was in...
11th grade I found myself attending New Rochelle High School( Public School). Technically I should have gone to a High School in my neighborhood but my parents would not let any child of theirs attend a public school in the bronx. I was in heaven. No Uniform I could wear jeans and sneakers everyday of the week. Finally GIRLS!!!!! Fordham was an all boys school. Having girls in my class caused me to study harder. I wasn't an athlete so my claim to High School fame would be my intellect and style of dress.
I finished my last two years of High School at New Ro and became quite popular. Even developed a love for art. When I graduated I attended one of the Top art colleges in NYC The School Of Visual Arts. But then I discovered I didn't have the attention span to attend college. It was too easy not to go to class it wasn't like the school would call your house and tell on you. I dropped out in 1 semester. I made lackluster attempts to go back a few times , but my heart just wasn't in it.
Now I have no one to blame but myself. I had every opportunity to finish school, but I chose this path and must live with my decision. Although it gets a little rough at times i've managed to keep my head above water and accomplish some of the things my college counterparts have. Even though it took me having 2 or 3 jobs.
Despite all this my mother and father are quite proud of me. Quoting my mom " Slish your a hustla. I wouldn't be suprised if you became the 1st millionnaire in this family. Just make sure our mortgage gets paid in full when that happens "
No problem Mum.....
posted by Mr.Slish at
1/12/2006 04:48:00 PM
9 Comments:
The "Openly racist 'teachers' at my private day (high) school?" I wrote about in my blog were at Horace Mann School in Riverdale(NorthEast Bronx near VanCourtlandt Pool). I served six years from seventh to twelfth. Partially because I was told,and I believed, that this was the only way to get into college. But partially because, like your dad, my mom, (who was born in the deep South) wanted to prove to the world, and random white folks, that her girls were smart and every bit as good as white kids...regardless of the actual effect on her children of being tossed into a lion's den of racism, classism and sexism early every morning, at age 12. Maybe I should have flunked out or gotten pregnant or something...maybe I wouldnt be so angry and twisted today. One day Ill write about Horace Mann School...
I think I was too pissed off to leave that d*mn school without my diploma.
Chez at least you were able to turn your anger into motivation.
Shit that whole experience caused me to dislike school. My pops blames himself till this very day.
Chezniki, you went to Horace Mann? I went to Fieldston from kindergarden. Although my experiences there didn't seem as unpleasant as your at HM. But looking back I see and understand things that I completely didn't notice as a likkle yout'.
Mr. Music
Of course Slish allows his Dad to continue to blame himself for Slish's early academic shortcomings. In my house I had always wanted to go to college even when I was a small child.
Sure I would get tease by those who rarely went to class but when their parents found out the grades I was getting all that teasing shit stopped. "Why can't you be on the Honor Roll like Venom...he should be rubbing off on you". Also I was able to have a car in high school that my Dad gave me. Overall my academic experience has been a positive one.
@Slish-Ive hated school ever since, but I wanted to stick it to the man, the woman and anybody else who was trying to short-change me so I stayed, but it cost a lot...and not just money.
@Anon/Mr.Music-If you went to Fieldston anytime between 1979 and 1994, the years my family was at HM, you probably know us. That world was very small!
@Venom-Throwing a backpack on your kid and telling them "go to school" is not enough. Children of Color need more tangible support, especially when sent to private schools or schools outside the hood...like the METCO (busing)program here in Boston.
So Venom you were born this Way !!! You telling me you came out of your mothers womb with a textbook attached to your ass!!!! What small child(5-8) dreams of going to college. All this time I thought your nerdy behavior was acquired not passed down from generation to generation.
FREAK!!!!!! Oh btw can I borrow some money!!!
@Slish. Yes when I was a small child I dreamed of going to college, because I dreamed of being a grown-up. I grown-ups going to college so I wanted to go to college. And if I am blessed with a child one day I would like my child to dream of going to college.
BTW I will not lend you money for your porn addiction.
Wow my friend, you are quite the scholar. ;o)
Ms. Guarino, Damn... I forgot her name, and me and Slish were in the same damn class!!! I need to leave that sticky Icky alone for real.. My pops did the same thing.. Waited for me to get accepted into Iona Prep only to tell me he wasn't going to pay for me to go to school anymore, and sent my ass to DeWitt Clinton in the Bronx.. Luckily for me in 1983 they started letting girls attend, that was all she wrote.LOL
My name should be up on all the bathroom and hallway walls in that joint.
Peace to all my Clinton Alumni, excluding myself who dropped out in 11th grade. I still managed to hustle for a decent living though. If I had it to do over though, College would be my number 1 priority....
STAY IN SCHOOL KIDS!!!
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