Spelling SSC
Jun. 30th, 2005 05:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thedarkagesA couple of weeks ago, I read Myla Goldberg's Bee Season. It was too schematic in the latter half of the book, especially when the girl's brother, starved for attention, joins a cult -- that just read like a network television Problem of the Week afterschool special.* At the same time, Goldberg's kabbalistic details appear to have been acquired in translation, and the question of how the girl fits under the over-40, married limitation is never addressed.
Nonetheless, it brought up memories of my own forays into the spelling world. I knew many, many words in the late 1970's. I was particularly proud of "dehiscent." My problems were nerves and execution. The Word On Which I Stumbled was "alleviate"; I slurred the 'e' and the 'v' together so that they sounded like one letter. I was out of the bee in the fifth round, and was crying in my seat within thirty seconds. I did not stop crying until several minutes after the bee ended, when my elementary school principal stopped by my auditorium seat to assure me that it was entirely possible that, despite my current ignominy, I would go on to know more words than anyone. It was kind-hearted of him; I especially appreciated his refraining from using the words "sore loser."
I never participated in another spelling bee again.
* The idea of a moral obligation on networks to produce edifying children's programming or face license non-renewal was, of course, wishful and naive as of the Reagan Administration, which, as I recall, drafted guidelines under which G.I. Joe and his associated toy manufactories were held to teach "abiding moral principles."
Nonetheless, it brought up memories of my own forays into the spelling world. I knew many, many words in the late 1970's. I was particularly proud of "dehiscent." My problems were nerves and execution. The Word On Which I Stumbled was "alleviate"; I slurred the 'e' and the 'v' together so that they sounded like one letter. I was out of the bee in the fifth round, and was crying in my seat within thirty seconds. I did not stop crying until several minutes after the bee ended, when my elementary school principal stopped by my auditorium seat to assure me that it was entirely possible that, despite my current ignominy, I would go on to know more words than anyone. It was kind-hearted of him; I especially appreciated his refraining from using the words "sore loser."
I never participated in another spelling bee again.
* The idea of a moral obligation on networks to produce edifying children's programming or face license non-renewal was, of course, wishful and naive as of the Reagan Administration, which, as I recall, drafted guidelines under which G.I. Joe and his associated toy manufactories were held to teach "abiding moral principles."
