Dry Days...

       Unlike yesterday with my potty inspiration, some days it is difficult to put pen to paper and write. Ideas do not necessarily flow like water from the spigot. (Why are all my analogies in the bathroom?) You turn the handle in your brain and nothing, just nothing, comes out. The old idea well has done dried up!!! You lean down to examine the opening for the missing flow. Just nothing! Then, suddenly, a drip hits you in the eye. The drip blurs your vision demanding you clear it and take a closer look. You try to come to some agreement with that thought so more will come. You chew on it, ruminate over it, examine it with the eyes of a micro-scientist, turn it over and over, and realize it is just not enough of a drip to be worth the time it would take to tap about it.



       As your brain is engaged in the hard work of pondering…life happens and suddenly there it is – your idea for the day. Sometimes it is an event that stirs your soul, other times it is a moment that strokes your heart strings, and then there are those that make you laugh until you nearly pee your pants. (Not such a stretch for us over 50 chicks like me…and here we are in the potty again…geesh!!!)


       As a teacher, there are things we do on a daily basis that if given a nickel each time, we’d all be rich. (Those teachers out there reading this…I know you’ve used this line. Uh huh...) You know what I’m talking about; making circles out of masking tape, telling, retelling, reminding, then asking if homework was done, and warning the kiddies of the dangers of eating paste, paper, and rocking on their chairs. Do they listen – NEVER!!!


       So as I was lost on the vast plains of idea nothingness, I catch a glimpse of one of my cutey's chairs in rocked back pose, as if in full forward swing on a swing-set, or like a little child-sized pellet in a catapult. Being that I was lucky enough to scavenge upholstered chairs to go with my scavenged tables, we sit in relative educational luxury. This little guy’s chair antics hadn’t gone unnoticed by the other boys around the table. Now on any given day, a spill from these high-end, soft-on-the-tookus chairs is particularly a difficult event, because upholstered chairs tend to hold onto jeans and corduroys like Velcro on a space-suit. Well…this particular acrobat hadn’t considered the dangers of slippery workout pants on upholstery. Might as well have sprayed his tush with PAM. Slow motion in your head now. (Otherwise known in writing circles as Exploding the Moment) My head rotates slowly to the right. Eyes scanning the table to assure what I’d asked the students to accomplish was in fact being attempted. With African Tribal music providing background ambiance (I know there is a whole other blog there waiting to be written..), the gentle whirring of the fan rotating back and forth assuring the creature comforts of my boys, a serene setting was being enjoyed by all. At that, my wind-pants-wonder-child suddenly rocked forward slowly from his back swing and he disappeared from the scene. His chair snapped into position at the table as if it knew its place in our educations world. Back to normal speed now, if you please. Riotous laughter erupted throughout the room. Our acrobat found himself sitting in a slippery little pile under the table. Good-natured as he is, he just popped back up, inspiring even louder laughter and giggles all around. He looked like a little jack-in-the-box sans the corny song.


       After assuring no injuries to vital organs or his cranium had occurred, we continued to get the jollies over his skillful slippage. My class environment is very loving and supportive, and just like any family, it is full of teasing and good natured joking. He provided us material for many stories today. One such suggestion was to write a parody on Alice in Wonderland with this little guy slipping into a hole under the table, or being sucked into the sound of Africa CD so he might find himself among giraffes, gazelles, and lions. (Good thing he was wearing running pants, huh?)


       As the giggles abated - I, of course, jumped onto my dormant pen and thoughts and began to write. Thank God that we have a safe enough classroom environment where we can laugh at each other and ourselves knowing there is love, and support and good-natured fun. We are truly blessed.


Future blog topics to consider:


• Seat belts for work out wear


• Pratt falls 101


• Why do we laugh first, check for injuries second?


• What does the above say about our perverse sense of humor?


• African Tribal Rhythmic Dancing

Debbie 3-10-10