We all gone die.

This look is temporary until I can fix archives, titles, and postitioning of comments.

Who would have thought that one stinking short story could pull my class into such a vortex of weird? Ray Bradbury's The Pedestrian is (like a lot of his stuff) is a commentary on the future where the protagonist is arrested for taking a walk one evening (this is a one sentence summary, not meant to substitute for actually reading). I started to ask questions trying to get at some deeper meaning...and when asked to listen, let's do!

Me: So, what is the author trying to say about the future?

Kid 1: That we'll all be couch potatos

Me: Bradbury is talking about 2053, that is within your lifetime...

Kid 2: How you know that's in my lifetime?

Me: Well, although you might not all...

Kid 2: They say 50% of us gone die by the time we 45

Me: Ok, whether or not you are actually there, it is much closer to the present, so are there any ways this story might be coming true?

Kid 3: We fat (note the absence of the ph, we are referring to obeseity).

Kid 4: Yeah, and Bush gone outlaw supersizing

Me (excited for the teachable moment and that the kids actually watched the news): Now, can the President actually do that? Does the government have a say in what McDonald's sells?

Kid 2: See, that why we all gone die!

Me (giving up one battle to switch gears): How is this story different from the essay we read? Remember the kid who described his experience with virtual reality?

Kid 2: That stuff ain't real

Me: Well, no, it isn't, but the idea is that the mind is tricked into...

Kid 2: Can't trick me.

This went on to an attempted conversation on the nature of reality and whether or not we have knowledge of reality based on anything other than our senses...note I said attempted.

I am off to a shift at the Bath and Body, hope I can better explain lotion.