A Teacher's New Year's Resolution: Brag More

Last month, I joined a friend for dinner and drinks after her Chamber of Commerce "Wednesday Friendsday." Sitting at the martini bar amidst real estate agents and financial advisors, all of whom were strangers to me prior to that evening, I found myself continually excluded from the conversation. When they found out I was a high school English teacher, they realized I had nothing to offer them—no contacts, no business, no money. All they had for me were sympathetic shakes of their heads and a few patronizing quips.

"Not a lot of money in that."

"Ninth grade? I remember what I was like in 9th grade."

"I don't know how you do it. You're a much better person than me."

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