The Object

On Monday when I was at the CFL waiting for my learner to arrive I was looking around for my object. All around the small room there are posters with different sorts of pictures of Mark with his students. These objects didn't stand out to me, it wasn't until I turned around and saw a poster that says: YOU GO GIRL! REACH FOR YOUR GOALS BEFORE YOU GET PREGNANT!

I found it very odd that this poster was here. First of all because most of the people at the CFL are way past the point in their lives where they would be having children, so the poster isn't even relevant to their lives. Second of all I thought it is rude. Some women who attend the CFL may had to drop out of school and end their education because they did get pregnant. I was thinking about how it must feel to go the CFL and see a reminder of why you need to be there. Sure the women didn't mean to get pregnant and end their education on purpose, but seeing this poster probably doesn't help their self esteem.

I think this poster has a very concrete message. There is nothing metaphorical about it. It is what it says reach your goals, before you get pregnant. I think this poster is a constant reminder that having children at a young age hinders a women's/mother's ability to continue her education. Once a girl has a child, there are two people in the world she has to look out for- the child and herself. It is obvious that the girl won't have the time to continue on in school if she has her kid at a young age; because all of her attention will be on her child, not her schoolwork.

 I am not 100% sure if this poster connects to my learner. She has told me all about her kids, but never once has she told me that they were the reason she stopped going to school. She did however have her children very young. I think that this poster is a sort of slap in her face. She never had the opportunity to accomplish her school related goals, but she did accomplish other goals. One she is a successful mother and grandmother. She also had a job for 25 years in the health field and is now out on disability. She also made the decision to finish her education at the age of 48 and I think that is very brave. I commend all of the learners at the CFL because they probably faced many different obstacles such as pregnancy at a young at, yet they are still trying to finish their education. I find it very offensive being a young woman and seeing what teen pregnancy can do to people. Not every one at the CFL can relate to this poster, so I don't even know why it is up.