In response to seemingly popular demand, I’m divulging one of my uglier moments as a kid…one that landed me in the principal’s office. Though, from my perspective, it’s not the worst of offenses, I’m sure that the emotionally wounded party felt differently. I was in the fourth grade at the time of my lapse in judgment, and my class photo is proof that you can’t judge a book by its cover.

So, during recess one day, a friend and I were on the playground pitching rocks and gravel. Why we weren’t playing dodge ball or engaged in other more normal, productive kid activities, I don’t know. Unintentionally (I’m certain) one of us hit a third grade girl right north of her eye, about the eyebrow. She cried out…I’m sure that it hurt, or at least scared her…but it didn’t look to be serious…no cuts or bleeding.

The next day at school, she informed us that she had gone to the doctor and had required stitches. Really? Just yesterday? No band aid? No scar? How can that be? Again, she insisted that she had gotten stitches. Well…that’s all we needed to launch a campaign of relentless teasing and name-calling. We chided her mercilessly about the phantom stitches and even graced her with a nickname, accordingly. The teasing, although reserved for the recess hour, went on for at least a day, maybe two, and the next thing I knew, I was sitting in the reception area of the principal’s office, staring up at a really tall principal by the name of Miss Beach. I don’t remember if my partner in crime was called in at the same time or not. He may even have been absent that day. What I do remember is Miss Beach towering over me and telling me that the girl’s mother had called and said that her child was so upset that she could neither eat nor sleep. In so many words, I was told to cut it out or suffer the consequences, i.e., notification of the parents. And that’s all I had to hear to nix my bad behavior.

I’d like to say that I was following the lead of my friend, but even if I were, that didn’t make it right. So…there ya go. Questions? :o/