is this cute and/or funny?
I want to open by referencing a screenshot of I think maybe a Reddit thread that I think I saw and saved from Twitter years ago. That is my citation. The post said, “i hate to admit this but i think if i were in a bad mood and spongebob were around i wouldnt be able to navigate that situation with the patience or grace it demands. and i worry he would blame himself.” This was followed by a comment stating, “im no better than squidward.”
I will also preface with please do not critic my understanding of SpongeBob, I did not have cable growing up and I have seen some episodes obviously, but not really a lot. We did have the SpongeBob Squarepants Movie on VHS.
Kate, or Lauren if you will, is a person that I would permanently trust to tell me if I was out of order. She has a bit of a catch phrase around these parts, “That’s not cute or funny.” and let me tell you that I heard it come from her the exact right amount of times.
That is a difficult thing to accomplish, such a critique could just as easily be underused as it could be overused. So how does she do it?
Well, notable of Kate is her very smart brains. She does her work, along with everything else, excellently and to the best of her ability. She knows that important things need to be done well because those are the things that help people and make the world better. I have witnessed her efforts and her principles in action. As a team, we rallied behind her leadership countless times in a workspace that frequently felt discouraging to those trying to do the right thing. When I got to points of throwing up my hands, Kate got ready to throw hands.
But these are no messy fists flying. Much of Kate’s impact comes from her timing and her precision. She has a great instinct for when to do what.
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Because that same tenacity she brings to upholding standards and values, she even more unsparingly brings to her desire for people to be happy. Kate will generously applaud hobbies, ideas, passions, thoughts that a person finds to be interesting or enriching. No matter how silly! She will wholeheartedly engage with and support the things that make people feel excited and good.
The combination is what enables her success. Kate and I are different, yet early on in our friendship I believe we realized a very important commonality in our perspectives of education, humans, life. We have both felt and expressed a worry for not always being the most fun. I will call it here, the Fear of being Squidward.
This is where I need you to reach back to my opening reference, and this is where I need to be very clear with my point: I believe that a Fear of being Squidward, does not a Squidward make. In fact I must insist that this resistance to being perceived as a Squidward does not even diminish the undeniable value of Squidwards. Rather, that fear itself actually reduces the likelihood of the most unforgivable offense: the harm of a SpongeBob.
Kate would never harm a SpongeBob. That is the truth. With students, with friends, she would help any SpongeBob be the best SpongeBob they can be.* I think that makes her Sandy. But again, I don’t really know enough about the show so take it easy.
With such a genuinely open mind to what can be cute and funny, those in Kate’s life are free to be themselves. With a sharp mind and quality heart, those in Kate’s life are not free to be a dick. I confidently know that Kate will be first with a laugh at any of my jokes, unless they are cruel. I am just as sure that Kate will go along with any of my bits or schemes, unless they are ugly. This is good to have.
Now that I have reached the end of this, I realize it might be very stupid. I hope everyone can feel the weight of the massive compliment I intend it to be. Sorry Kate! Love you!
*We can all acknowledge that SpongeBobs have flaws.
