Today, as I walked to the train in the pouring rain, I couldn't help but think of my old student, Vaughn, who once asked amid a lesson on racial stereotypes, "Miss--why do white people smell like wet dogs?"
My initial response to this was to tease him a little for being a racist, tell him that white people don't smell like wet dogs, that I don't smell like a wet dog, but to every one of my retorts he insisted, "No, Miss, no disrespect or nothin', but white people smell like wet dogs."
"Ok, Vaughn, they do." Whatever. We went on with the lesson.
BUT.........................(and believe me, this isn't the only time I have been wrong in teaching).......that night I had class at Teachers College. I schlepped up to Harlem from Brooklyn, in the pouring rain, in February (because God forbid it snow in this friggin' city anymore),and when I sat down in class and disrobed my layers of wool coat, wool scarf, cashmere hat, down to my clothing of wool sweater, wool pants, and leather shoes (can you see where this is going?), I noticed that I completely, undeniably, 100% smelled like a wet dog.
Wool clothes + rain = smell of wet dog
The next day I came into class, called Vaughn to the room, formally apologized for teasing him about being a racist, and told him that he was right: when wearing wool in the rain, white people (or any person for that matter) smell like wet dogs. The class cracked up. What a teachable moment.
loved this post. hysterical!
ReplyDeleteWool has nothing to do with it. It's got to be the hair. White people's hair is basically fur, like a long haired bred of dog's. I went to summer camp with a lot of non-wool-wearing white boys. And, when it would rain they'd smell just like a Collie.
ReplyDeletehoopskidoodle--
ReplyDeletehmmm...you might be onto something. but--of course--my hair doesnt' smell like wet dog.