Yesterday morning I packed my bags and my bronchial wheeze and headed off on a school visit.
I was sort of dreading it.
I’d been sick for more than a week, my voice was weak and sore, and I was just plain knackered.
But by noon I’d been infused with funny, curious, wide-eyed kid energy and darned if I wasn’t feeling a bit better.
Here’s my favorite line of the day:
We had your book at our house, but we sold it.
I said I understood. That being a 2nd grader, she probably needed more room on her shelves for chapter books.
I laughed.
The teachers, however, looked stricken.
Here are my favorite pocket metaphors of the day:
A hive is a pocket for a bee.
A nose is a pocket for mucus.
A book is a pocket for pages.
The teachers looked stricken again over the mucus.
But then a child sneezed, as if to assert the truth of it.
And with my own viral scourge, who was I to argue?
Plus, isn’t it refreshing sometimes to be with folk who just say it like it is?
Oh heavens, I laughed out loud at your favorite line of the day. That makes me think of that wonderful Isaac Bashevis Singer “thank God for children” thingy he wrote. “It’s a lot easier to hypnotize grown-ups than children.”
Amen for saying it like it is.
Jules
7-imp
Hee. Maybe that little merchant will grow up to own a fabtabulous independent book store and then she can sell your book many times over.
I hope you defeat the scourge soon.
Gotta love kids – they sing the truth!
Ha!
Awesome. I love the unfiltered dialogue of a room full of kids. To allow it is to learn a whole lot more!
Bernadette
For some reason, I woke up at 4 this morning thinking about classroom visits — maybe I was just anticipating reading about your experience the other day.
And I’m so glad that I finally know what a nose is for.
I hope you taught those teachers to value ALL that kids have to say!
Oh, too funny! Hope you’re feeling better now:>)