Since I don't currently possess the energy or desire to continue a discussion about my fears for education and public employees in WI in general...and more specifically, my fears of how my LACK of desire to every teach there again may directly affect my career in the future...I thought I'd offer instead a random memory from elementary school. I have several, many having to do with things I'm glad teachers I work with are more sensitive too...but this one is no sad. Or happy. Or really anything...other than a random memory that can make me crack half a smile at times.
It was 5th or 6th grade, and we had the opportunity to sign up for an overnight lock-in at the YMCA in La Crosse. One of the many events we had the opportunity to play there was dodgeball. I was playing because a bunch of my classmates were playing. I was one of the kids who didn't jump out and taunt the thrower. I stood towards the back against the wall and dodged when a ball was thrown at someone in my general area so that I didn't get run over by the person it was thrown at, or get knocked out by a ricochet.
Eventually, my strategy of NOT calling attention to myself paid off. It was just me and like 2 or 3 other guys left. Now, we're talking me, and two or three other popular "jock" types that like to bounce around in front and taunt the thrower who happened to also be another "jock" type. As a result, it wasn't long before we were all thinking "Andrea won! How'd THAT happen?"
I thought it was pretty cool, except that winning meant that now YOU were the thrower and I did NOT want to do it. I said to Mr. Johnson (the supervisor) "it's cool that I won, but let XXX throw instead". I don't currently remember who came in second place, but that's the person I wanted to throw, I was done. Mr. Johnson was not having ANY of that...he was gonna make me throw...at least a few time, then someone else could take over. I'm sure he was thinking positively and encouragingly, and I appreciate that now, even if I didn't then. I don't remember how many I threw before before I was let off the hook but what I do remember clear as day was taking out SIX of the "best" payers on my first throw. See, I really didn't want to do it, so I whipped it sidearm in the process of spinning around. No one could account for the trajectory and few were able to get out of the way. I felt successful, it was awesome...like the time I kicked a grandslam in kickball at recess (and had been picked last 'cuz no one assumed I could play).
Hmm. That's my random memory. And now I've posted something.
