What I’m Reading
Feb
7
Ups and Downs
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At lunch on Friday one of my co-workers exclaimed, “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever! So what’s new?” My fear is that I just sat there staring at her like a total idiot. In my mind, I was trying to figure out how to say something like: “Well, in the last week I broke up with TNNB, my uncle passed away, and my sister announced that she is pregnant” without suddenly dissolving into a fit of weepiness, and what actually came out of my mouth was something along the lines of “Hnnnrrr… not much, you?”
Articulate, yes?
But I don’t know, it just seemed too melodramatic to suddenly blurt out all that information in the middle of the faculty room. And the longer I waited to tell people anything the stupider I felt bringing it up, until finally, on my way out the door on Friday afternoon, I was forced to stop in to tell my principal that I would be out on Monday for a funeral. On an average day my principal is pretty much the nicest man ever so he was very sympathetic and understanding. As I was leaving, he handed me a sheet and said, “This is the speech I read at the last School Committee meeting; I just wanted you to know.” Once I got out to my car I read it, and it’s a good thing I waited until I had left the building because I immediately dissolved into hot tears. He had written about how important school librarians were, and it was a passionate and compelling argument to bring back the position next year. I have no idea if it will move a town that seems solely concerned with their own bank accounts, but the fact that he had spoken so forcefully about it meant almost as much to me as the job itself.
On top of being touched that he had thought to speak about the library at the School Committee meeting when there were so many services cut last year, I was also relieved that he hadn’t yet heard about what I had done earlier that day. You see, one of my kids this semester has a hearing aid, and I have a little microphone to wear that clips to my shirt. The microphone goes right to his hearing aid, so my voice isn’t amplified in the classroom or anything. After I had finished giving directions the kids were all busy typing away, and I took advantage of the fact that I had an aide in my classroom and hightailed it to the bathroom to pee before my 8th graders showed up. Halfway through relieving myself I realized I WAS STILL WEARING THE MICROPHONE. I was peeing in the handicapped kids ear! I panicked and willed myself to stop peeing, all the while frantically swatting the microphone off my shirt.
Um. So, yeah. That was my week. How was yours?
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19 Responses to “Ups and Downs”
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I cried in CVS when I was told my health insurance expired on the 31st even though I now get an extra $68 removed from every paycheck to pay for it… And our HR person only is in on Tuesdays to help me resolve it, so I can’t pick up my prescription, which I don’t even need, but buy out of habit, until then. So that was a low point.
But then you reminded me of the time that was in a seminar and the really boring seminar lady peed with her mic on, and that still makes me laugh. I don’t know if that would make you feel any better, though.
About like that actually.
Sorry for the tough week.
One of my high school friends had a hearing device like that – the teachers had to wear the little microphone. She told me some of the things she overheard that way, and it was pretty hilarious. She was used to it though, so hearing someone pee wasn’t that funny to her anymore. Hopefully your kid just turned his volume down.
Sorry about your week, but that’s happy news about your sister, yes? Plus, it sounds like things are looking up in the reinstated librarian department. I hope his words resonate with other people as much as they did with you.
Good God! Sorry about that week!
Sad tears and happy tears….I am tired of crying!!!!! We lost one very loved member of our family and will be gaining another. I would like to read the speech your principal wrote….hopefully they will hear his words. At least he gets how important the library is and how passionate you are about the library.
Wow, major points for your principal! That is very impressive, even if it doesn’t swing the vote in your favor.
What a week. I don’t blame you for being emotional.
Wow. Hang in there, NPW. Hugs to you.
OMG. Did the kid say anything about the peeing? Or, like, look at you funny?
I love your principal.
Chin up, buttercup.
Day-um, girl! On the plus side, you know that your principal appreciates you and the work that you do and that there must be others who feel the same way. On the other plus side, your student hasn’t yet made your bathroom concert into a youtube video.
I’m sorry to hear about your uncle and excited to hear you’ll be an auntie! It’s one of the BEST, BEST things when your sister has a baby. You get all the good parts from it and get to go home when the crying starts.
It’s great to hear how supportive your principal is, things can only go up. Right?
I too am sorry to hear about your uncle, but many congratulations to your sister!
As for your principal- clearly he rocks. Good to know he’s on your side!
That seriously made me laugh. Hard. The peeing part. Not the other stuff, because I’m not a cruel, heartless person or anything.
I’m very sorry to hear about your uncle. And I think you’ll probably be the greatest aunt in the entire world (I’m an aunt, but I let my nephew play with an outlet when he was three and taught him the word “crap,” so I clearly don’t deserve the title).
Isn’t it ridiculous how the emotional things operate on a when-it-rains-it-pours basis? I hope you have some unemotional time ahead of you soon.
Yeah, ups and downs indeed! Oh my goodness! I am sorry about your uncle, happy about your sister and still laughing about the peeing. Sorry about that.
Your principal is awesome and you are hilarious, my friend. So, a question… If they do bring back the library, do you definitely get to be the librarian? I do hope so, and it seems obvious that you would, but since you haven’t been the librarian at that school yet, I wasn’t sure. In any case, fingers crossed!
sometimes it all pours down at once, doesn’t it. i am sorry about your uncle but excited about your future niece or nephew. and it’s great that your principal has your back – so important. as long as the peeing soundtrack doesn’t get back to him, you should be fine.