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On not knowing what we don't know or who can teach it to us, and why manels are so toxic, and hockey visor spray, a thread:
Like everyone, I wear a mask all the time now. And I wear glasses, and I can't make the two work together. Whatever you suggest--mask high, metal nosepiece, glasses low--I've tried it all. They still fog up. (2/n)
I find myself taking off my glasses all the time in school, which rather misses the point.
Not going to wear lenses. If you know me, you know that glasses are part of The Lewk. (3/n)
Not going to wear lenses. If you know me, you know that glasses are part of The Lewk. (3/n)
So I've been walking around school, randomly asking kids wearing glasses what they do to get them to not fog up. And either getting the same suggestions, none of which work, or 
. (4/n)
. (4/n)
One day, at 10th grade lunch (lunch supervision duty being a whole new fun aspect of high school teaching in our fun times), I randomly ask a group of 10th grade boys for an idea. And one of them, who doesn't wear glasses, says to me, (5/n)
"I play ice hockey. They make a visor spray to keep your visor from fogging. Why don't you try that?"
I don't play ice hockey, had no idea there was such a thing, (6/n)
I don't play ice hockey, had no idea there was such a thing, (6/n)
but I figured any product that could keep a hockey visor from fogging up in the combination of intense physical exertion/sweating/exhaling and freezing temperatures could work for my more moderate needs, and ordered some. (7/n)
I'd been asking everyone who wore glasses. I didn't know that I needed to ask a hockey player. I didn't know that I didn't know about visor spray. (8/n)
And that reminded me of one of the most moving exchanges I have ever seen On Here. @SkinnerPm, whom you should follow anyway, was talking about launching his tactical caring kits--bags of supplies he keeps in his patrol car to hand out to homeless people in need. (9/n)
And @tcwittes replied, "don't forget to add menstrual hygiene supplies. And some diapers." And this is how @pmskinner replied:
https://twitter.com/SkinnerPm/status/1181329587193745409
(10/n)
https://twitter.com/SkinnerPm/status/1181329587193745409
(10/n)
I was moved by the humility. And the acknowledgement (modeh al ha'emet.) And how much it's not what often happens when we point out which voices are missing. Or when our request to have those voices at the table is treated as some identity-politicking, or box-checking. (11/n)
Last year, I was invited to address an all-male group of Orthodox rabbinical students. I was far angrier than I realized until I was done speaking to them, and since our world (and especially our community) can't handle women's anger, I doubt I will be invited back. (12/n)
I was angry because the invitation was so proud of its own openmindedness in inviting a woman to speak to Orthodox rabbinical students about the challenges of sexuality in a halakhic context. And that was the wrong reason to invite me. (13/n)
Again and again, I said to the rabbinical students, "I'm not here so you can check a liberal/tolerant box. I'm here because if you talk about sexuality without considering the experiences of (at least) half of the Orthodox community, you sound like idiots." (14/n)
"You didn't do me a favor by inviting me. I'm doing you a favor by helping you not sound like idiots." (I said the word "idiots" a lot. As I said, I won't be invited back.) (15/n)
The problem with manels, with any body in which only one set of voices is represented, is that you don't know what you don't know. You don't think about menstrual hygiene supplies. You don't know about hockey visor spray. (16/n)
You're not doing us a favor, checking a box, or winning some diversity brownie points by seeking out voices from a variety of perspectives and experiences. You're helping yourself identify and overcome your own blind spots. You're helping yourself not be an idiot. (17/17, fin.)
(Oh, and the hockey visor spray? It works great. I tested it inside and outside. Huge difference. It's called Molecule Anti-Fog Premium Helmet Care, and I ordered it from some hockey supply company. Not paid for this promotion, but you're welcome to try it yourself.) (18/17)
