Z Y X…

Train of thought this evening:

Those clothespins from Michael’s are just the cutest.

I can’t wait to use them for the baby shower game on Sunday.

Should we declare a winner before we cut the cake?

Wait.  What if there’s a tie? 

What will I DO if there’s a tie?!

Maybe the two women could draw a Scrabble tile; and whoever has the closest letter to “b” for “baby” will be the winner.

I’d be the fastest at figuring that out.

I’ve been singing the alphabet backwards since I was nine years old.

Crazy teacher thought she could prove a point…  Ha!  I proved a point.

I wonder if I should blog about that tonight…

You see, what happened was simple: my fourth grade teacher was trying to illustrate the lesson that when someone develops a habit or learns a concept in a specific way, it’s hard to get the brain to “swim upstream” against that understanding.

Then, to make her point, she called on a fellow classmate and asked him to say the alphabet backwards.  He furrowed his brow.

Fellow Classmate, “Z…  …  … Y…  …  … X…  …  … (q r s t u v w x) … W… (s t u v w) … V… (q r s t u v) … U…”

It was painful.

I began to squirm.

What if she calls on me?  What if I can’t do it?  

Never wanting to be an example of ignorance (*cough* perfectionist *cough*), I went to my grandma’s house after school that day and promptly began memorizing the alphabet backwards.  You’ve never seen a nine year old so well prepared with either end of the alphabet!

My fourth grade teacher never called on me.

Neither did my fifth grade teacher.  Neither did my sixth grade teacher.  In fact, for the rest of my life, not one single teacher ever pulled this stunt on me.  Neither has law enforcement, interviewers, reporters, Candid Camera or judge & jury.  At 28 years of age, I am shocked that at no critical point has my life depended on my ability to quickly recite the alphabet backwards!

‘Cause I’m ready, folks.

Z Y X W V U T S R Q P O N M L K J I H G F E D C B A!

See?  Told ya so.

I’m pretty sure that’s all I learned in fourth grade.

Now close your eyes and say the alphabet backwards.  (You know you want to.)

No cheating!

11 Comments

  1. February 21, 2012
    Dannielle

    I loved this post, and I’ll have to remember it for our next appointment; that way you can say a teacher DID ask you to say the alphabet backward.

  2. February 21, 2012
    Momma

    LOL

    I love reading your blog, it’s the only way I learn some things ….

  3. February 21, 2012
    melody

    I’m not a teacher, but my response was going to be exactly what Dannielle’s was! I want to hear it in person. This is no easy feat!

  4. February 21, 2012
    Bonnie

    But can you recite the alphabet backwards while standing on one leg?

  5. February 21, 2012
    Rach

    I think the only time this could possibly come in handy in your adult life would be if you were pulled over on suspicion of d.u.i…which we all know would never happen. At least you can claim to be prepared for any situation!

  6. February 21, 2012
    Manny

    LOL! My brain too slow for this kind of stuff but give me a Sundays Washington Post crossword puzzle any day.

  7. February 22, 2012
    Margaret Treadwell

    how funny…about a week ago I started to learn the alphabet backwards….just so I could! I am not super fast, but I am better than I was a month ago!

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