Preschool Nightmare

Day 0

Nine months to go

Grade: Kindergarten

            The day I floated the now infamous “whatever” past my lips directed at my then boss was the day I became a Libertarian, thumbing my nose at The Man, I just didn’t know it yet.

            More than five years ago I sat in yet another meeting to discuss my obvious dislike for singing with the preschool class I was teaching. I sat and listened to Ms. C run down a multi-layered list of viable reasons for me to sing with these sweet three year old children. I listened but I refused to absorb. I knew the information she was trying to impart me, I just didn’t care to be told how to teach my students. I would sing when I was darn well and ready and today I was not all that darn well and ready.

            “O.K. Whatever!” spilled out of my haughty, know-it-all mouth severing any tie to authority Ms. C believed she held over me. Seeing fury, truly fury, build in her eyes, I began to back peddle. “I’m sorry. I mean…Whatever!” Out it came again.

            She sprung from her seat pushing herself up and out of a tiny plastic chair and stormed out of the classroom. Before she, principal of a religious school, slammed the door she forever burned me with,

            “Don’t tell ME whatever! YOU…..ARE…..FIRED!” Bang! The door slam was heard by the remaining campus teachers and the teacher aids. I hung my head and collected my things and walked to my car shamed.

            I did, however, learn a couple of things that day:

                        1. Never tick off The Man, he will screw you.

                        2. I should have sung with those kids. Not to please her but to stop being afraid of myself.