TOOK A WRONG TURN AT KINDERGARTEN
I took a wrong turn in Kindergarten.
In fact, looking back on it, I think I can see clearly just where I went wrong.
It all started at Kindergarten Round-Up, if you want to know the truth. For it was there that I was ushered into a room with just myself and a kindergarten teacher that asked me to do tasks that could only be equated to CIRCUS PERFORMING. Even at the tender age of five, I knew that being put on exhibit was nothing short of degrading, so when the foul woman asked me to walk a balance beam, I flat out refused. In my mind, a dummy could have walked a balance beam, and, since I was absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, no dummy, I didn't see the need to prove to her something that was obviously apparent to everyone but her!
That decision landed me in summer school because I was deemed "not ready for kindergarten." To say my mother wanted to strangle me there on the spot was to use the understatement of the century. But she's had many similar reactions to decisions such as the BALANCE BEAM DEBACLE in her lifetime ... it was her lot in life raising a STRONG-WILLED CHILD.
I suppose my wrong turn was jarringly evident at parent teacher conferences when my mom was informed by my teacher that I was coming in late everyday ... an hour or more late. Did I ride the bus perchance? With kindergarten only being a half day, could they please try to make an effort to get me to school on time?
My mother could barely contain her building anger with me as she explained to the poor woman that we lived just three short blocks away from the school (in those days, you could send your little kindergartner walking to school without fear of human predators ... not the case these days), and that she sent me with time to spare in the mornings!!
I was much too concerned with all the "stuff" in the neighborhood to be bothered with the time constraints of school (stuff is defined as bugs, snow mounds, dried leaves, random crud flowing in the gutter ... basically, anything that would constitute a distraction to a five year old).
I further wandered down the wrong road when my mother was handed over a very rough, snarled-hair, snaggle-pussed school picture of her "precious" five-year old and asked if she wouldn't finally cough up the money for the prints. Imagine my mother's embarassment as she tried to explain to the teacher that she never received a school missive explaining dates and times of school pictures. I dare say that school note found it's way with the other crud floating merrily down a neighborhood gutter.
"Three short blocks, Meg!" I think I remember my parents starting many a lecture that way ...
Yes, I would say, life as I know it today, might not be as it is had I not taken a wrong turn in kindergarten ...
In fact, looking back on it, I think I can see clearly just where I went wrong.
It all started at Kindergarten Round-Up, if you want to know the truth. For it was there that I was ushered into a room with just myself and a kindergarten teacher that asked me to do tasks that could only be equated to CIRCUS PERFORMING. Even at the tender age of five, I knew that being put on exhibit was nothing short of degrading, so when the foul woman asked me to walk a balance beam, I flat out refused. In my mind, a dummy could have walked a balance beam, and, since I was absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, no dummy, I didn't see the need to prove to her something that was obviously apparent to everyone but her!
That decision landed me in summer school because I was deemed "not ready for kindergarten." To say my mother wanted to strangle me there on the spot was to use the understatement of the century. But she's had many similar reactions to decisions such as the BALANCE BEAM DEBACLE in her lifetime ... it was her lot in life raising a STRONG-WILLED CHILD.
I suppose my wrong turn was jarringly evident at parent teacher conferences when my mom was informed by my teacher that I was coming in late everyday ... an hour or more late. Did I ride the bus perchance? With kindergarten only being a half day, could they please try to make an effort to get me to school on time?
My mother could barely contain her building anger with me as she explained to the poor woman that we lived just three short blocks away from the school (in those days, you could send your little kindergartner walking to school without fear of human predators ... not the case these days), and that she sent me with time to spare in the mornings!!
I was much too concerned with all the "stuff" in the neighborhood to be bothered with the time constraints of school (stuff is defined as bugs, snow mounds, dried leaves, random crud flowing in the gutter ... basically, anything that would constitute a distraction to a five year old).
I further wandered down the wrong road when my mother was handed over a very rough, snarled-hair, snaggle-pussed school picture of her "precious" five-year old and asked if she wouldn't finally cough up the money for the prints. Imagine my mother's embarassment as she tried to explain to the teacher that she never received a school missive explaining dates and times of school pictures. I dare say that school note found it's way with the other crud floating merrily down a neighborhood gutter.
"Three short blocks, Meg!" I think I remember my parents starting many a lecture that way ...
Yes, I would say, life as I know it today, might not be as it is had I not taken a wrong turn in kindergarten ...
Comments
Two things come to mind:
1) I want to see that infamous picture.
2) I'm glad I take Cassie to school!
The picture never made it home. Too ugly. I got retakes. :)