A Boy Named...

It snowed again...oh well. I began my Friday morning by quickly sweeping the snow off of the ramp on the way to my garage [which is across the street]. I pushed the automatic garage door opener, the door went up about two feet, and then it abruptly stopped. I thought that maybe the very cold temperature caused it to be tempermental. I pushed the button again and the door went back down to the ground. Let's try this again! Pushed the button...the door went up two feet...stopped. I pressed it again to lower it back down. And can you believe it...just like pushing an elevator button harder and repeatedly makes it show up at your floor faster...what did I do? I pushed it again expecting a different outcome! Did it work? No! Well, Hell's Bells!!

Fortunately the other side of the [2 car] garage has a door with a number key pad that will raise it when the correct 4 digits are entered. Into the garage go I!!!

Holy Moly...the hatch[back] of the car was stuck[as in attached] to the door, and that is why it would not open. I lowered the door, closed the back hatch, pushed the door opener, and VOILA! Success. The door opened all the way. Whew! Thank ya, Jesus!

I hopped in the car thinking that I could still be on time for my 9:30 appointment. Key into ignition...press it forward...nothing! I try again...nothing again! I can't believe how stupid I can be as I tell you that I did this a third time, too! It was not difficult to come to the conclusion that because the wayback had been open overnight and possible overhead lights on, the battery was dead. Damn!

Back into the house, cancelled the 9:30 appointment, called AAA, and waited for help. Alrighty then...AAA got the car running and I was on my way[after letting the car charge itself for 15-20 minutes] to volunteer at the hospital at 11 o'clock. They were happy to see me especially because the weather had prevented the 8-11 AM volunteer from getting there.

On the list of 'one day surgery' patients was a former student of mine. I thought she had already gone home, when I heard my name called out, and it was her! It was so nice to talk with her and her mother, too. She told me that she was student teaching right now and would soon have a degree to teach Science: Grades 6-12...Wahoo!!
An hour later when everyone had checked in and all of Monday's charts were ready, I began reading my book as relatives of patients waited to be called and join them. I looked up and there was a six foot blue-eyed young man who looked familiar.

"I know you...don't I!"

"Hi, Mrs. 5th Grade Teacher".[He knew my name.]

He told me that his mother [who was there] used to kid him that it was because of him that I retired a year later!!

"Not true...not true! It was my arthritis that did it!"

And later while chatting with his mom, I told her that what I remembered most [about her little darling] was that he was kind ...and it was certainly an admirable trait that many kids lacked. He is a very good kid! It was also wonderful to see him, too!

I have always wanted to be a guest speaker in college classrooms about to send out into the world the newest generation of teachers, and tell them that:

These little kids [ your students] are real people with real feelings, and you will meet them again when they are adults. Be respectful of the power that you have in their lives.

And wrapping it up on a lighter note, I have known many kids who had names that could be either male or female. Examples are Kelly, Stacy, Jess[ie], Shannon, ...

The last patient to check in was a man named...Hilary! First name: Hilary! I'm thinking that his teachers maybe had to run a little interference for him. His parents...What were they thinking?