They Save Me

Like all mornings, the alarm on my cell phone pays no attention to my slumber and goes off anyway. I’ve changed the default ringtone of Radar to Ripples — it’s still annoying and elicits the same expletive from me.

Another Monday. Just three more Mondays.

Like going to the gym, the hardest part is getting there. Once I arrive at school, my mood is buoyant from the exchanges of greetings and smiles with the students.

I’m finishing up my 26th year in the classroom. Yet no two moments have been the same. Each kid unique, each class different, each interaction idiosyncratic. The kids are all lovely. They are all crazy. They ask great questions. They ask dumb questions. They know a lot more than we think. They know nothing. They are very kind. They are rude. They say funny things. They tell the worst jokes.

The briefest exchanges let me know that I’m in a good place.

Sometime during 2nd period:

At the start of 5th period:

Me: Please draw a rectangle, any size is fine.

J: You want us to do that now?

Me: No. Two hours from now.

K: Hehe. I love  your sarcasm, Ms. Win.

It’s been a rough year in my personal life. But I get to escape from it through these light moments with my students. They make me laugh. They make me fart. They save me from myself.