I Didn’t Wear a Helmet or a Drool Towel…

    A recent comment on my Facebook page reminded me of a painful childhood experience. In Kindergarten, our teacher Mrs. Schleicher made a bulletin board to track our achievement at learning to tie our shoes. As you learned, she drew a little shoe, wrote your name on it, and posted it.

    Some kids already knew, so they made the board quickly. As days and weeks passed, the board filled up. Eventually missing only one name.

    F. Weasel.

    Seasons changed, and at some point she took down the board having given up hope that I would ever accomplish this task. I’m sure she surmised I was doomed to walk the world in loafers, and forsake all sports that required laces. Perhaps I could learn to swim, if not tie.

 

    Somehow through hard work and patience, I managed to figure it out before the school year was over.

    Mrs. Schleicher partitioned off the existing bulletin board and put a shoe up with my name on it.

    As teachers go, she kicked ass.