Fixed.

haha ZING

haven't read this thread, but stopped here...

you seem like a pretty rad person online, but in real life, how social are you? I mean how "popular" are you? not popular in a prom queen way, but I mean how adept are you at mixing into in groups of people?

nevermind, I'm having a hard time putting it into words.

I'm an introvert but fairly popular in social circles, and can chat it up standing in line with someone (if I am in the mood).

well there you go...

sounds like you had a pretty rad life growing up.

I went to public school in the ghetto. like 2nd and Q...Guadalupe Elem.

in the 80's some pseudo-intellectual hippiefuck decided to hijack the LBK school system.

I grew up in that area over by the southplains mall and the school there (nat williams) was an "open concept" school where the whole goddamn school had zero walls. grades K-6 were all in the same frickin room. they did it to promote "an open atomosphere and unchained ability to grow and prosper in a free environment" or some such granola drivel.

what actually happened was some kids were totally distracted by the lack of structure acted like freakshows on crack and made terrible grades...that would be me.

so in their infinite wisdom, they decided those who couldn't assimilate to the open concept, needed exposure to other cultures and bussed us across town to the worst school in LBK. 5th graders that were huge black dudes that were like 16 or some shit. school surrounded by barbed wire fence.

nowadays they would have just diagnosed me as ADD, which is really neat-o as well.

my parents provided a good life for us so that I could get mugged and beaten for my walkman. awesome.

what social skills did I learn in elementary? that hippies are fucked, and the only way to not be a subsurvient underling is to fight.

/rant

homeschooling would have ruled.

Yeah, I think I did pretty well as far as social experiences are concerned. I'm perfectly capable of mixing in well with a wide variety of groups, but if I think a group is a bunch of idiots or I'm not having fun, I'm probably going to excuse myself rather than waste my time and sanity trying to blend in. For instance... sitting around getting drunk and discussing football? Definitely not my thing and I'm probably going to get annoyed and get the hell out of there.

But it didn't bother me in the least, for instance, to show up for a random Techsans game of cops 'n' robbers with a bunch of people I'd never met before; hell, 6 weeks or so ago I and a few friends met up with a couple for gaming who'd found me on an online gamer database and contacted me randomly (we've since hung out with them several times). When I'm out and about on errands, I'll chat with folks in line, the cashiers, etc. (not all the time, but fairly frequently).

I am somewhat introverted, so I don't like big crowds or most large get-togethers, but I'm not shy or awkward around new people in general.

In short, homeschooling can be totally rad or totally fucked up -- it depends SO much on the parents involved. If I'm in a totally awesome school district when I have kids, I might send them to public school, but I'm largely planning to homeschool whatever progeny I spawn.

haha, that's pretty messed up. i went to a couple of public schools where the entire grade was in one room with like cubicle and bookshelf dividers, but the whole school would be nuts... i'd just spend the entire day trying to harass my brothers.