OCD at VBS
by Jane Thornton
Laughter and shrieks from eighty children echoed off the
supposedly insulated walls of the gym. Crazy song time for VBS purposefully
incited the mania, its goal—keep them pumped up. I had to repeat to myself over
and over, “This is not the time. This is not the place. You are not in charge.”
Some time later, my crew of third through fifth graders had
a down moment as we waited to rotate from snacks to crafts. The irresistible
urge for correction bubbled up in me again.
“Hey, hey, hey,” I hollered. “Who knows what I do for a
living?”
One bright little lad piped up, “You teach English.”
Thumbs up! “Yes, I do. I’m going into teacher mode to ask
you a question. Who remembers the milk song from crazy time?”
Hands flew up.
“Show me how it goes.”
A raucous medley, not
in unison: “Don’t give me no Coke – no
Coke. Don’t give me no tea – no tea!”
“Good job! Now, how would you say that if it weren’t crazy
song night and your English teacher was listening?”
Long pause. Finally one lone girl’s voice questioned, “Don’t
give me any Coke?”
Hurray! Points for her English teacher.
Perhaps you need such a compulsive corrector to look over
your work in progress. If you are searching for an editor, please contact Jane
Thornton at jethornton@tx.rr.com.
Jane Thornton, English teacher, wife, and mom of two almost grown children, strives to break free of the automatic boring label attached to those roles. Her two suspense novels eagerly await a willing publisher, and her articles search for inspiration in the humor and tears of life.
2 comments:
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