April 23, 2008

Do You Want to Go to the Dance with Me?
FOUND by Justin Hubert in Outsde of a high school
I always wanted to know what the gift was and whether it went over well. On the other side it says "please Read."
Jan in tended to go to bed early but didn't
Hailey should have said "yes" even if she didn't want to go to the dance because a guy as illiterate is this would never have found her house.
+ April 23, 2008 12:37 AM +
Kiki in Cali
Is that an either/or? As in "You make the choice: I give you a birthday present or you go to the dance with me."

Geee......lemme think about it....
+ April 23, 2008 12:47 AM +
the man behind the curtain in oz
I think the choice is the present. At least he isn't into over consumption.
+ April 23, 2008 01:22 AM +
Librarian in the woodwork
It's gotta be choising whether or not to go to the dance, because there is no 'plan B' offered. Normally, see, Hailey would be forced to go to the dance, but since it is his/her birthday Hailey gets to choise.

I hope Hailey choised wisely.
+ April 23, 2008 06:48 AM +
hilary in new haven
it sounds so serious and slightly creepy nerdy.

there is something about this note that reminds me of napoleon dynamite.
+ April 23, 2008 06:51 AM +
chillin
Would Hailey really go to the high school dance with a first grader? Because it appears that is who this was written by and it was Found at a High School.

Looks like a b'day theme today. I wonder who elses b'day it is? Two more days till mine! No Hello Kitties please, but I'll take some melagro tortillas.
+ April 23, 2008 07:05 AM +
Yo!
I hope this blew over from the nearest elementary school. The writing is atrocious.
+ April 23, 2008 07:17 AM +
Night in gale
Happy Birthday, Flargy!
+ April 23, 2008 07:42 AM +
Freonz freak in g hallucinations
I'll join the chorus: Happy birthday, Flargy. And to Chillin, too, in a couple of days.

@ Yo!: I concur. My mind rejects the possibility that this was written by someone over the age of nine.
+ April 23, 2008 07:51 AM +
Jonathan in big choises
Poor shy kid really wants to ask her to the dance, buys her something nice for a birthday present to sweeten her, winds himself up to ask the question and then it all comes out sounding aggressive and rude which he didn't mean it to at all, honest.

Perhaps he was too shy to say anything face to face and tucked this inside the present, and it fell out when she unwrapped it and she never saw it.

So now he's going to be screwed up about asking girls to dances for the rest of his life.

(Unless she said yes and they had a lovely evening at the dance and are still happily married forty years later, of course.)

Seriously -- either aged about nine or not a native English speaker.

Happy birthday, Flargy!
+ April 23, 2008 08:38 AM +
not so clever in creating my handle
Our reactions to this note remind me how limited we are when trying to interpret mere words on a page/screen/scrap of paper. :| (see the thoughtful smiley suggesting my moment of reflection)

@jan: two misspellings, missed punctuation, and some odd syntax makes this kid an illiterate!?! What does the one typo in your posting make you? Maybe, like you, he wrote it after midnight and was a little bleary eyed. ;) (see the nice winking smiley diffusing the potential to read my comment as antagonistic).

Or maybe this was a special needs or developmentally delayed student at the high school. And wouldn't that make us all feel like real jerks for mocking him...:D (see the largemouth smiley assuring that we know my tone is light and playful)

Thank goodness for smileys! If only our date-seeking note writer had dropped in a little winking pucker ;x or bespectacled grin 8) that would have offset the nerdy, creepy, illiterate, short bus factor and won him a hot date to the dance.

I'll just put my headphones back on now [:-)
+ April 23, 2008 09:40 AM +
Flargy in New Haven, CT
Not so Clever,

You may be onto something with the special needs theory, but there's also a good chance that this kid is just an *
+ April 23, 2008 09:54 AM +
Effie in Oxfordshire
@ Flargy "Is just an *"? Does that mean French? Like Asterix and Obilix?

It does say found outside a high school. Maybe the local junior school holds it's dances at the big school because they have a bigger hall?
+ April 23, 2008 10:18 AM +
stalker in the library, looking up palindrome backwards in the dictionary
My son has dysgraphia and his writing and spelling look like this. His spelling and handwriting is at a first grade level and he forgets how to form letters and spell words from one time to the next.

He is in his first year of college and is in Honors Classes. He types EVERYTHING and carries a mini dictionary in his back pocket for emergencies.

He wouldn't word a note this way but a younger person with these kind of spelling and writing problems might...

I hope Hailey gave him a chance, unless of course she had a better offer.
+ April 23, 2008 10:21 AM +
not so clever in creating my handle
When I saw Flargy's *, I went to the bottom of the page to see what she was referencing. I'm still waiting for the footnote post! :-D
+ April 23, 2008 10:22 AM +
Flargy in New Haven, CT
There are so many complicated ways of expressing emotion and/or sentiment with complicated combinations of keyboard characters (how's that for alliteration?!), but I'm a big fan of the very simple * as a means of describing a person's character. If you view it as a graphic instead of just an asterisk (just as smilies are viewed as graphics), you should be able to decipher its meaning.
+ April 23, 2008 11:55 AM +
Christina in Illinois
Outside of a HIGH school? It looks like somebody wrote this w/ the pencil gripped in between their teeth. And givEing?

No child left behind, my ass....
+ April 23, 2008 12:02 PM +
Teacher in Florida
I do believe this was written by a high schooler. I teach 7th grade and it's very sad. They can't spell, can't write, and can't read.

Christina is right. All children are being left behind.
+ April 23, 2008 12:19 PM +
mlm in texas
Flargy--Are you showing us the ol' stink eye?
+ April 23, 2008 12:26 PM +
mlm in texas
BTW Flargy, Happy Birthday!
+ April 23, 2008 12:28 PM +
Turbo in the Thunderdome
Flargy, may I suggest for your birthday you try not to be too much of an *whole?
+ April 23, 2008 12:55 PM +
Flargy in New Haven, CT
Suggest all you want, Turbo. Results not guaranteed.

What I find most disturbing is that Mr./Ms. Not so Clever says he/she saw my *, then "went to the bottom." There's a very real chance that this discussion could turn grosser than the long-ago talk of red correcting pens.
+ April 23, 2008 01:15 PM +
Night in gale, giving credit where credit is due
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. taught us that graphic in Breakfast of Champions, I believe.

So it goes.
+ April 23, 2008 01:24 PM +
Terrie-Is-So-Very in totally-unique-ville
Settle down, people. If you really think this was written by a high schooler and not a 3rd grader...I walk my daughter to school every day and we walk right past the high school to get there.

I also think that too many people are quick to slam the American public education system. At the schools in my area, the kids read, write, and do math in kindergarten. They have read more books in elementary school than most people read in their life--they have to. They take a test on every book they read and earn points, if they don't have enough reading points they could fail. As far as required testing goes, every school in the district is a top scoring school.

So what happens? Maybe our society and American culture brainwashes them as they grow, maybe at some point their focus shifts from learning to socialization and consumerism.

Slamming the education system because a elementary school kid makes a couple of common spelling mistakes is lame. When I got to the 7th grade, I couldn't multiply. Instead of complaining about kids coming into his class who couldn't multiply--he taught me how to multiply. The teacher taught me. What a concept.
+ April 23, 2008 01:42 PM +
Michelle in New York
I agree Terrie. It's easier to complain about something than to actually do something about the problem.


And I do think that this was written by an elementary school-aged student. My high school had a day-care program that was also used as a home ec. type of class. I was only in high school 2 years ago so I'm sure that those types of programs are still around.
+ April 23, 2008 01:56 PM +
Never Mind in Chicago
You people are really freakin mean. There is no reason to post your useless, one sided, one track minded comments here. Obviously this was written by a grade schooler, duh. I think it's kid of cute. You assholes who make rude comments and fight amongst yourselves most of the time are the reason real members don't want to use their real name or even add anything to this site. GROW UP!
+ April 23, 2008 01:57 PM +
Michelle in New York
...Oh and I went/go to a public school
+ April 23, 2008 01:57 PM +
Never Mind in Chicago
And I don't care where it was found!
+ April 23, 2008 01:59 PM +
Flargy in New Haven, CT
I agree that this * is probably in elementary school. That would explain the girl being named Hailey. After Eminem became popular, that name probably found its way into those "Baby Names" books you can get while in line at the grocery store. Seriously. I picked one up to amuse myself while in line one day, and right there on the page in front of me, in the "J" section for girls' names, it suggested...ready?..."J-Lo"!

I'll be back later...right after I go and count the Britneys and KFeds in the birth announcements in today's paper.
+ April 23, 2008 02:13 PM +
Jonathan in Slaughterhouse 5
@Nightingale:

'So it goes'?

Did somebody just die??
+ April 23, 2008 02:25 PM +
raisin in a singing quartet
dancing is forbidden!
+ April 23, 2008 02:28 PM +
Lemon in heaven
@ Never Mind -

I'm sorry that Hailey turned you down. Clearly it scarred you.
+ April 23, 2008 02:51 PM +
lost in america
so sweet! reminds me of a "boyfriend" i had in seventh grade... his handwriting looked something like that. he wanted to be together forever... and i broke up with him because i couldn't stand the thought of even holding his hand :/ we're still friends today, and we still laugh about passing notes like this in the front row of our language arts class and getting away with it :)
+ April 23, 2008 02:55 PM +
Indy
I agree that it looks like an elementary school kid wrote this...but, did anyone ever have a full-on, ask-a-partner-to-a-dance dance in elementary school? We only had dances in grades 7 and 8, and these were more impromptu, in the classroom, at the end of the year kinda things...Maybe we were just behind the times..
+ April 23, 2008 03:07 PM +
Meaghan in Jacksonville, IL
i would love to get this note on a day like today.

it's like the times my 3 year old son looks at me and says, 'Mommy, you're pretty.'
+ April 23, 2008 03:18 PM +
wrye in her office at school
high school kids don't write invitations to dances... they just hook up on myspace. though the grammer and spelling is about right- blame it some on nclb but also- like me- they are addicted to spell check, grammar (or grammer?) check and all that good technology.

and yep, there are 'ask-a-partner' dances in early school, but they are mostly during the day and given as rewards for meeting reading goals or something...... would be nice to be asked to a dance....
+ April 23, 2008 03:31 PM +
Freonz freak in g hallucinations
This will probably start a flame war of biblical proportions, but it's my opinion and I'm going to share it with you.

The saddest and scariest thing posted today was by Michelle in New York: my high school had a day care program. High school is where children are supposed to learn, learn the things that they will use in their adult life when they are on their own and raising their children. Children aren't supposed to be raising children.

I had more, much more to say on this subject and a few more but chose not to mount the soapbox.
+ April 23, 2008 03:41 PM +
nadine
Happy Birthday Flargy.
+ April 23, 2008 03:44 PM +
Terrie-Is-So-Very in totally-unique-ville
Freonz, they had a daycare at my high school and that was, what? 15 years ago. They also had a separate place for the pregnant girls at our school. So, in addition to regular school classes, these girl were in child development and learning parenting skills. Ideally,teen girls shouldn't be having babies, but there was never a time when teen girls weren't having babies. Instead of kicking these girls out or forcing them to drop-out, these days, they keep them in school. I think the point is that the school system is doing something to help them.
+ April 23, 2008 03:57 PM +
mlm in texas
Nightingale--I saw on a previous post that you are also in TX. What part, if you don't mind me asking?
+ April 23, 2008 04:36 PM +
Turbo in the Thunderdome
Oops. I just realized that the * is suppose to look like a puckered pooper. I thought Flargy was saying the kid was an ASSterisk that's why I called him Assterickwhole. Whip out the red correcting pen, I'm an idiot.
+ April 23, 2008 04:48 PM +
leggie in London UK
It's just so obvious this was written by a really young boy. I don't know about the United States, but even our little 5 year olds have school dances and discos. I love the way he suggests that she has a 'choise', I think what he's saying is, "I am giving you a gift so really you HAVE to go to the dance with me."
Why is there so much confusion about where the note was found? Don't you have wind in the States, it may have blown there.... or maybe someone dropped it as they were walking past the high school... maybe it was stuck to the sole of someones shoe... maybe a stray dog picked it up then dropped it there, maybe it fell out of a rubbish truck... endless possibilities.
I found a shopping list outside my front door, it doesn't mean that my house is the super-market, or that I wrote it.
Now I think I had better 'register' as I needed a calculator to work out the spam protection question tonight!!
+ April 23, 2008 05:02 PM +
Tang dispensing in formation
Oh, speaking of school.. and no child left behind, you can buy the end of grade tests for any grade at studyisland.com. It's where the states get it. It's $40.00 per subject. It's legal. I'm just passing that along.
+ April 23, 2008 05:13 PM +
apparently in visible
If you write it (_*_) it can be easier to interpret, but I do like the simplicity of the plain ol' * !!

And, just quickly, on baby names...recent local news story about a couple having to fight officialdom to be allowed to legally name their child...4Real. Yes, with the digit. I know.

Anyway, I think this note is cute. I was taken right back to the days of nervousness, notes and whispers. I hope he got his date. Although...hopefully he had the guts to hand it to her, because he forgot to put his name! Which you might do by accident, without realising it, and then be agonising that Hailey is not just rejecting you, but totally ignoring your request! Oh, the pain and heartbreak!
+ April 23, 2008 05:28 PM +
Freonz freak in g hallucinations
Terrie, getting these girls an education is the best thing that can be done for them. Any chance they have of making anything of their lives, or giving their children a decent shot at life, depends on them being self-reliant and educated. But that doesn't diminish how sad it is that education dollars are being spent on childcare for babies of children.

Since teen birth rates are currently dropping, perhaps the education process is working in at least the prevention department.

P.S. I was in high school in the 1970s. We didn't have daycare at high school and there was still a lot of shame associated with out-of-wedlock pregnacy. The possibility of shame and disgrace kept a lot of girls' knees together. That's just how it was. None of my schoolmates had children or dropped out of school because of a pregnacy, but there was gossip one summer of a classmate that had had an *gasp* abortion. Since I wasn't close to her, I never actually found out from her.
+ April 23, 2008 06:46 PM +
reading too much in to everything
@ Terrie - Ahhh... Good old Accelerated Reader. I'm a first grade teacher and my kids LOVE taking their tests in the morning. They can't wait to read their next book!

@ Nevermind - Though I agree with you... give it up. I said something similar a few days back and nobody reacted too well to it. Meh... what can you do? I simply choose to overlook those kinds of posts.


My own two cents: It could have easily blown from a nearby school, dropped out a bus window, fallen from a backpack, etc. It doesn't necessarily mean this child is high school. And even if he is, as it's been said, he could be a special needs student or even one of those kids who spelling just isn't their thing.
+ April 23, 2008 07:11 PM +
Cabbage Tree in New Zealand
I usually look at Found through Firefox which blocks the American Apparel ads. Today, I am looking at Found while at work (yes, I know, I am living on the edge!). WTF is this god-awful American Apparel. Who is the colour-blind stylist(?) who chose to marry purple and orange together. What is this dishevelled, vacant staring, ex-crackwhore model (?) Is this a joke which I can't understand because I'm not American? The fact that there are 17 more "styles" in over 30 colours is going to give me nightmares for months!
+ April 23, 2008 07:15 PM +
hilary in new haven
they have school dances in elementary school?
+ April 23, 2008 07:46 PM +
Terrie-Is-So-Very in totally-unique-ville
Freonz, I completely agree with you. With my daughter approaching "that age" hopefully I have done a good job educating her in that department and she doesn't find herself in such a position.

reading too much, yes AR! My daughter also has Accelerated Math in her class. I think it's awesome and the whole district should use it.
+ April 23, 2008 07:47 PM +
Chrome Toaster in the land of nothing really matters, but what if it did?
a girl in my daughter's class (grade three) is named Abcde. It's pronounced "Absiddy"

And yes, they have school dances in elementary school these days, which may come as a surprise to those of you who haven't been in elementary school for a long time, but don't yet have gradeschool aged children..

My kid was "star of the week" recently (same girl, grade three) and I was amazed by the range of abilities/progress levels expressed in the "letters to the star of the week" from classmates.
Some are definitely being left behind.

Happy Bday to Flargy! Taurus with heavy Aries influence. Go figure.
+ April 23, 2008 08:54 PM +
lizbeth in rochester
this note is cute, funny, kinda creepy (I WANT YOU TO MAKE THIS CHOICE), and obviously written by a fourth-grader...

lighten up, folks, and don't take yourselves so seriously...

@cabbagetree- american apparel is a company, yes, a real company, that produces American made trendy clothing of mediocre quality at ridiculously high prices. the mix-matched colors is, in my guess, their attempt at "individuality", or something like that.
+ April 23, 2008 09:17 PM +
kitrona in IN
I think it's cute.

Also, I sent my son to a daycare in a high school. They just happened to have some leftover space and used it for a daycare; I don't think it really had anything to do with any of the students being parents already. So not all daycares in high schools are because the students are pregnant or whatever.

Also, I love the spelling of "choise". Don't know why, but it just trips something in the 'cute' area of my brain. :)
+ April 23, 2008 09:58 PM +
I'm up too late in fl
I teach special ed. This definitely looks like how my kids write. They try so hard to spell right. I've confiscated so many notes that look like that. I agree with the high school special ed. theory.

Other thing is maybe its a grade 6-12 high school? Kids who are a little behind would still be making those spelling errors in 6th grade.

Its cute though :)
+ April 23, 2008 10:41 PM +
Never Mind in Chicago
@ reading too much- You are right. I was wrong to write what I did in my post. I was acting no better than some who made me angry. I will take your advice. Too all, I am sorry for the obscenity.
+ April 24, 2008 07:11 AM +
Never Mind in Chicago
Sorry, I meant to say (To all). Maybe I need to go back to elementary school.
+ April 24, 2008 07:13 AM +
Holly the Homemaker in Toronto

Really people, think back to when you were in elementary school...

What? No spelling errors?

I don't think so.

Give the school children a chance.

At least this author had the courage to write the letter and ask Hailey out to the dance!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FLARGY!!
+ April 24, 2008 08:23 AM +
Indy in Philly
I dunno. The word "choise" conjures up for me a wise-cracking mafia type with a thick New Jersey accent (sorry, New Jersey!).
This makes me think that maybe Hailey really didnt have a choise to go to the dance...
+ April 24, 2008 02:42 PM +
ChristinaC in Seattle
I am hoping for Hailey's sake that her valient pursuer is in middle school, and that she is as well.
+ April 24, 2008 10:51 PM +

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