The people

Having completed the first full week of school, my 12-year-old shared her "people" categories with me. According to her, persons in seventh grade can be grouped as follows:

1. The mean popular people.

2. The nerdy* nice people.

3. The smart cool people.

4. The people who think they're popular but are really losers.

5. The funny people.

*smart, but uncool

Perhaps not surprisingly, I new exactly what each description meant. It was a refreshing change from "liberal" and "conservative."

I asked her which category fit her best. "Sometimes I'm a two or a three," she said, "but mostly I'm considered a five."

I asked which category she would assign to me. "You're a three and a five," she said without hesitation.

Then I asked her which category best fit her dad. "I hate to break this to you, Mom," she said, "but I think dad would mostly be a two."


Kid's got a point.

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Photo inserts: Erin O'Brien circa 1972 and husband Eric circa 1971.

Further reading: Archives chronicling the life and times of Erin O'Brien's husband, frequently referred to as "the Goat" in these pages.

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