Friday, August 19, 2011

Why Smartypants?

People who've only known me as an adult find it pretty hard to believe that I was actually pretty timid as a young child. But when my mother thought I was "mouthing off" to her (in other words, standing up for myself), she'd refer to me as Miss Smartypants. It was supposed to put me in my place. Imagine that...calling a little girl "smartypants" is supposed to be a put-down.

This is one of those things that got lost in the shuffle as I grew up. Then one day I ran across a children's picture book titled Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole. All of the sudden those childhood memories came back to me. So I read the book and fell in love with it. Without giving away the whole story, here's how it starts:

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"Princess Smartypants wanted to live in a castle with her pets and do exactly as she pleased."


If you know a little girl (or boy) who's still into picture books, I highly recommend it! Or if you're an adult and want to have some fun re-making that childhood myth about a princess needing a knight in shinning armor to rescue her, get it for yourself.

Those memories and the book made me realize that I wanted to embrace the "smartypants" in me.

2 comments:

  1. Mo'nin', Ms. Pants

    And, I would say a growing number of us are just quite glad that you continue to embrace your inner "smart" self.

    I'll say it like this....For any guy that "get's it", there is NOTHIN' like a self actualized woman. Now...

    Saw you over at Norbrook's. VERY interesting exchange. It's also things like these that we need to know. Particularly in the days ahead.

    Also...

    Was wrestlin' with Alinsky's precept of having to "get rid of the do- gooders". How you wound up phrasing why helped quite a bit. Therein...

    My church is dedicated to racial reconciliation through the gospel. A number of ethnicities attend and I'm an Elder. One of the things that I am on the continual look-out for as it drives me NUTZ and it ain't Biblical, either, is the "White Man's Burden" approach to dealing with issues.

    Rather how that idiot Senator Coburn was trying to explain how it made sense to him why the President would like Social Programs (comPLETEly missing that it was PBO's white mother that had taken advantage of the programs. PBO took advantage of scholarships that he earned by being damn BRILLIANT).

    So, looking at it that way...yep. The "do gooders" have GOT to go.

    I am in "agreeance". Which I would just BET is something that you didn't even know one could do. But, the term is used by some of the youngsters here in St. Louis (makes me grind my teeth a bit) and I just couldn't help myself.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mo'nin' Blackman!

    You bring up an interesting thought for me.

    I wonder how much more prevalent that "do-gooderism" is with liberal White folks. Perhaps connected to the "White Man's Burden." And perhaps why I resonate with it so much more strongly. I know it VERY well - especially in my line of work. We've been dealing with that a lot over the last year as we challenge some of the white professionals who want to rescue these poor black children from their incapable Black parents.

    What a GREAT point about President Obama's white mother being more the beneficiary of the government programs. Right on!

    ReplyDelete

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