Elementary Conversation

Today I finished reading They Named Me Marjorie by Ann Zemke. It is a true story about a girl who grew up as an orphan in the early 1900's, rode an orphan train and was taken in by a family when she was eight. The family never adopted her, they just wanted someone to help with the chores. The little girl, Marjorie, grew up, got married, mothered seven children and lived to be in her nineties. Life was not good to her, being born in 1898 means she was a young mother during the Great Depression. She never let her childhood affect her adulthood. The amount of her time and talents that she gave to others was an inspiration to me. Marjorie's family did not know much about her childhood until after she died, when the author found her Grandma's journals. If this is your kind of reading, give me a shout and you can borrow the book. Unless, of course, you have already read it, Lora!!

I have a little story to share with you that I witnessed while subbing in the elementary office today. Just before school starts, the principal brings a little boy into the office. The principal has a firm grip on the boy's shoulder, points him towards a chair, tells him to sit down and he would come talk to him later. I notice that the little boy is a little teared up, but nothing to major. A while later, the principal walks out of his office to talk to the boy.

Principal - "Are you ever going to stand on the urinal again?"

Little Boy - crying harder now, "No."

Principal - "Why were you standing on the urinal?" (I have to make sure I don't smile a little at this point.)

Little Boy - "I don't know."

Principal - "What would Mom do if she caught you standing on the toilet at home?" I kept the fact to myself that I stand on our toilet all the time to reach into the cupboard above it. I didn't figure that would help the talk!

Little Boy - "She would get mad at me."

Principal - "When you go into a restaurant, do you stand on the urinal?"

Little Boy - "No!"

Principal - "We will keep this to ourselves this time. If it happens again, we will have to talk to Mom about it. Get back to class now."

The little boy leaves the office. When I know he is out of hearing range, I asked the principal how he made it through that without cracking a smile. He just shook his head and smiled, but never said a word. I guess after being a principal for twenty some years and being a little boy once himself, he must have had a little more insight than I did!

When the principal asked him why he was standing on the urinal, it kind of took me by surprise. I was expecting to hear, "Are you ever going to punch Johny again?" or "Are you ever going to back talk your teacher again?" or "Are you ever going to throw an apple out of the bus window again?" I guess those are the kinds of things children got reprimanded for when I was little. Or maybe I was just a boring little kid!