Say What?

Hermia doesn't want to obey her dad. He says, "You will marry Demetrius, the boy I chose for you."

Hermia runs away with Lysander.

Obey. It's a tough and unsavory word.

I once fantasized living my life as a nun. Really, three squares a day and not a bad uniform — which would end my struggle with shopping for trendy apparel. And I would perform good works in the world.

That's how I saw it. Maria von Trapp and me: one and the same.

Until I reckoned with that word: obey.

"Oh hey, Mom Superior, thought today I'd bake a chocolate three-layer for the girls."

Nope, latrines on the double.

"What about me and the gang hiking to the top of a hillside while exercising our pipes with top ten tunes?"

Nope, potatoes. Twenty-five pounds' worth.

And that's why they're called fantasies.

Obey is a reality for kids. They have to obey parents, teachers, coaches, babysitters, piano teachers, and me. My heart goes out to them.

As does Shakespeare's. His opinion on obey is clear. Hermia doesn't obey and she ends up fine, with exactly who she wanted in the first place, Lysander.

And that's why they're called plays.

I asked the kids to write about that word: OBEY.

CHILDREN'S WRITES: Journal Entries

I first start for breakfast in the morning in a summer day, 12:00-2:00 pm for lunch, 3:00-5:00pm for dinner. The rest of the time is for video games. Sometimes my grandma says to stop playing video games. I say, "OK." And then I have to read a book.

—Vincent, 5th grade

Once when I was at camp we were playing freze dance. I had to dance big and move more that I was but I admit I am shy so I felt sort of embarist but I still did it because I had to and because I like freeze dance. P.S. it was the first day so I didn't know any one but my one friend.

—Rebecca, 3rd grade

Last year I had to obey Ms. Ryane when I didn't want to do the exricusie and the scripted but I did it any way and look at me now I am in the Shakesphere now and I was in last year. I love Shakesphere and I will love it for the rest of my life even when I die I will still love it.

—Wendy, 4th grade

Today my dad said I have to drink some honey medicune to make my coffe go away but I said no because to me it is nasty so had to obey him bye drinking it and i spit it out in my bathroom.
On Monday I went to the doctors and they give me a grown up peal to swallow then my mom said swallow it. When the doctor left I ate half of it and I spit it out in my mom's hand. I had to obey the doctors that way they can make my throught infection go away.

—Krystal, 4th grade

Once I had to write a paper on flys. I had a very big fit because I hated flys. I thought they were distausting. I told my mom I did not want to. When I talked back to her she got extremly upset with the way I talked to her. When she told me to go to my room. Instead of going to my room I acted like I was going there but I went to the basement so I could play with something instead of being bored. After about 5 minutes she gave me a pencil and paper to write my paper.

—Phoebe, 5th grade

Once when I was early in the morning when my mom told me to go clean my room. I didn't want to because my room was a mess. I had to first fix my book case, make my bed, clean off my dresser, the top of my book case, orginize my trophies, clean out my electronics, put away my clothes, orginize my drawers, try on my shoes, try on my clothes, fix my drawers, go through all my toys and try on my jackets. It was too mutch and took me all DAY. Now I know to always clean my room right away.

—Ellie, 5th grade