So, as I have stated previously, I was the most practical child on the planet. I knew by the age of five that I wanted to be a teacher so I busted my butt in the first grade to get as many AR (Accelerated Reader) points as I could. Getting to be “teacher of the day” was the prize. In order to win, I had to get 250 points. When you are reading books that are only 2-5 points a piece, that’s a lot of reading. But I did it. I got Teacher for a Day…and I was so excited. I wore my favorite dress that day. It was denim on top with a beautiful bright floral print at the bottom.
Needless to say, I was at school bright and early that morning with my things ready to go, and ready to teach. (Another thing you should know about me is that I am so often focused on the big things that I am working on—that I sometimes forget the small things. For example, I would sometimes forget to brush my teeth before I went to school because let’s face it, breakfast was way more important. And in this case, like…well….going to the bathroom didn’t quite make the priority list.) So, I was in front of the class, beaming with pride telling my students what day of the week it was, and telling my students what the weather was for that day. Then, it hits me. I realized I hadn’t gone to the bathroom all day. That’s right…I was so excited that I forgot to potty. Don’t judge me…I was only 5!
In a panic I remember trying to think about what my teacher would do in such a dilemma. It occurred to me that sometimes they would sneak away briefly to do mundane normal things. It was then that I realized, I never saw them sneak to the little girl’s room. It was like they were some kind of superhero or something. So, it happened. In my panic, there it was…the unmistakable puddle that appeared beneath me. As relieved as I felt initially, I was—of course—mortified. Everyone started pointing and laughing, and the more I tried to say that I had NO idea where that puddle came from, it was obvious. I ruined my beautiful floral dress. But more than being upset about my dress, my main thought was that “I’m not cut out to be a teacher. I can’t even hold it throughout lunch…”
Well, turns out…I can hold it better now. And I’m a mere few semesters away from my childhood dream. The moral of this story? Make time to do the little things. Big things are fun, but can easily be ruined by forgetting something seemingly “insignificant”. In all of our crazy 21st Century days this is a valuable lesson, one we continue to learn throughout our lives…
I hope that through my embarrassing story I gave you a good laugh on this Tuesday, and perhaps something to chew on….
Your friendly Neighborhood Blogger,
Caitlin
