KIDS NEED HOPE NOT DOPE, YO

When I was in grade school and high school, we used to sit through all types of assemblies that were supposed to keep us on the straight and narrow, with our penny loafers polished and our plaid kilts no higher than two inches above the knee. Assemblies that told us all about the dangers of drugs and sex and abortions and eating disorders and Protestants and Birkenstocks with socks. Like that one time my friend Caitlin almost passed out in the auditorium senior year because they kept showing pictures of hypodermic needles entering track marked arms and in between toes on the projector screen and we were all LOLgiggles when she put her head between her knees and turned all eating disorder-pale because we were well informed about the color of eating-disorder-pale and I DO NOT SEE WHAT IS SO AMUSING ABOUT DRUG-INDUCED HYSTERIA, MISS HANAHAN.

Anyway, some time around eighth grade, we had some motivational speaker come in to talk to us about DOPE. And we were all ummm nobody calls it dope anymore and dude's so energetic he should try a little grass to chill hisself out. Only I'm sure I didn't think that at the time because in eighth grade I thought grass was just the stuff in your lawn and I was still too busy harshly judging anyone who would dream of touching marijuana for their lack of moral standards because What Would Jesus Smoke, ya'll? But at the end of the assembly we all got little plastic coffee mugs with the phrase KIDS NEED HUGS NOT DRUGS scrawled across. And it was awesome.

This has nothing to do with anything except when I was trying to think of a title for this post, kids need hope not dope was the only thing that I could think of. Probably because I'm high.

But tonight, TOOOO-NIGHT my besty-face, BF-F-LYFE, best bud Michael Farrell is giving a reading from the book "Teaching Hope," the new book from the Freedom Writers Foundation. The book is an amazing collection of stories from the Freedom Writers Teachers, a group of the country's most progressive educators assembled by Erin Gruwell, the original Freedom Writers teacher a.k.a. Hilary Swank in that movie with Dr. McDreamy.

Mikey F is one of these extraordinary teachers right here in Philadelphia, and he'll be reading a passage from his story, as well a few other Freedom Writers Teachers from the area. AND YOU SHOULD BE THERE. Unless, you know, you hate on the future of all of our children and shit like that.

The readings will last from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Barnes and Noble at Rittenhouse Square, 1805 Walnut Street, followed by a dance party in the self help aisle. Just kidding about the dance party part, unless of course you're into that because I am TOTALLY down.

You can buy a copy of "Teaching Hope" there, obvi, because it's a book store. That way you could even get it autographed by Mike for his incredible contribution, or me for being really awesome at making pancakes and offending people. Or, you can order it on Amazon. All proceeds benefit the Freedom Writers Foundation that continues to train teachers in innovative, tried and true learning methods as well as continuing to sponsor continuing education for worthy and deserving students.

I'll see you there. I'll be the one in the back row smoking a doobie.

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