Oh the last day of school, oh the celebration, free for the summer! It's a race to the neighborhood ice cream shop, a race we never win as my poor children must wait for their mother to gather her things, shut down her computer and pile books to sort through in September. And so we arrived to find at least thirty children on the sidewalk outside, eating ice cream and running joyously, celebrating the last glorious day of school.
A second grade boy saw us first, as we drove down the street across from the sidewalk. His friends joined in and then everyone, screaming and yelling, so excited to see the librarian coming to the ice cream store. I lowered all the windows to allow the voices to be heard, the unbridled screaming, "Ms. Lang! Ms. Lang! Look who is here, it's Ms. Lang!".
Never, not once in my entire life, have I been so well received. The cheers were deafening, the crowd growing, the children running along the sidewalk, following our car until I stopped at the red light. I waved, acknowledging my fans, those same children who only one week ago scowled at me when I asked them to be quiet in the library. My own children were shocked to near silence in the backseat, "Um, Mom, they really like you", said Mary, seeing her now famous mother in a whole new light. For this brief and shining moment I was the queen of the Last Day of School parade.
A car pulled up next to me, having just turned onto the street. The old man stopped and rolled down his window, his wife in the next seat. "Are you a teacher?" asked the old man, surely stopping to thank me for another wonderful school year, another glorious nine months of learning and growing.
Rather than bore this kind man with the details of my specific role I nodded and smiled, "yes, yes I am!". He turned to his wife, nodded and then smiled at me, "well then you make too much money, driving that expensive car", and he grunted, laughed, and sped away.
There's one in every crowd.
A second grade boy saw us first, as we drove down the street across from the sidewalk. His friends joined in and then everyone, screaming and yelling, so excited to see the librarian coming to the ice cream store. I lowered all the windows to allow the voices to be heard, the unbridled screaming, "Ms. Lang! Ms. Lang! Look who is here, it's Ms. Lang!".
Never, not once in my entire life, have I been so well received. The cheers were deafening, the crowd growing, the children running along the sidewalk, following our car until I stopped at the red light. I waved, acknowledging my fans, those same children who only one week ago scowled at me when I asked them to be quiet in the library. My own children were shocked to near silence in the backseat, "Um, Mom, they really like you", said Mary, seeing her now famous mother in a whole new light. For this brief and shining moment I was the queen of the Last Day of School parade.
A car pulled up next to me, having just turned onto the street. The old man stopped and rolled down his window, his wife in the next seat. "Are you a teacher?" asked the old man, surely stopping to thank me for another wonderful school year, another glorious nine months of learning and growing.
Rather than bore this kind man with the details of my specific role I nodded and smiled, "yes, yes I am!". He turned to his wife, nodded and then smiled at me, "well then you make too much money, driving that expensive car", and he grunted, laughed, and sped away.
There's one in every crowd.
4 comments:
One in every bunch. Obviously he never learned manners. What a pill.
You are super famous. Bet when kids run into you outside of school they are excited to see you. I'm always excited to see you! :)
Unreal! You just can't satisfy some people!
oh dear...just saw this post
screw him
you don't make enough
I'm certain he thought he really got me with that one but jokes on him, great story! Thanks all!
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