An attitude of Gratitude.

This week was our "Teacher Appreciation Luncheon" at work.  Twice a year, at Christmas time and the end of the academic year, the administration asks parents to bring in food items for a luncheon in our honor.  So we gather during our lunch hour and we eat food someone else paid for and prepared.



I'm a big fan.  Sometimes we get tamales from Balderas.  And I can never get enough tamales.  Seriously.

Though there were no tamales this year, there was plenty of food.  It was a nice day.  And there were deviled eggs, which I also love.

But, while I was at lunch, I was subjected to a bevy of complaints.  The lasagna had no flavor, the shortbread was just shortening and flour (Isn't that shortbread in general?) and some of the food wasn't worth touching, because of the kid whose parent made it.

That's bullshit.

Excuse my language, but I didn't pay for lunch, i didn't have to drive anywhere to get lunch, I just had to load a plate and eat.  Was it the best lasagna I ever had?  no, but I was blessed with a mom with an affinity for Italian cuisine.  Did I eat two pieces?  Hell yes.  It's lasagna.  How bad can it be?  (For the answer to that, please order the lasagna from Tonino's on Grant and Jones)

In class, we had a fable unit, and we read the fisherman and his wife.  I extrapolated for my kids that the point of the story is to be happy with what you have instead of wishing for what you don't have.  Try to find something you have that you are happy for, even if people have better versions.  To illustrate this, i pulled out my crappy old school phone that doesn't have 'droid, isn't a touchscreen, is kind of pathetic, and I said "This phone is lame.  But it's my phone, and I'm glad I have one."  I told them that if we're always wanting better things than we have, we can't ever be happy with what we do have.  They really enjoyed the story.  The talking fish puppet probably helped.

Over the ensuing weeks, when we had cupckaes, or something at lunch and someone said "I wantd th purple frosting" my students would say "At least it's a cupcake!  Don't be like the fisherwife!"  or "I only eat pepperoni pizza." "It's pizza!  That's better than tuna!  Let's be happy with what we have."


I was stunned that my 5-year-olds kinda get it.  And the adults I work with totally don't.  What's that even about?  When did people get to be so ungrateful?  Where is this attitude coming from?  Any suggestions or comments would be helpful.