Sick

When I was in the 3rd grade I woke up one morning feeling peaked. I told my Mom I was sick who in turned took my temp...normal, asked me if I had a belly ache...no and promptly told me to get dressed and go to school. Once at school I continued to not feel well and told the teacher. I was sent to the nurse who called my Mom to come pick me up. My Mom arrived and was FURIOUS. She brought me home and told me to go to room and lay down that there would be no couch, no TV, no snacks. I went upstairs and started feeling quiet miserable about my current predicament. While my Mom was vacuuming the house I put my clothes back on and walked back to school...without telling my Mom. When I returned to school my teacher was a it shocked. She asked me if my Mom had brought me back and I said no that I had walked back. She took me to the principals office who in turned phoned my Mom. My Mom was shocked because A. she did not even know I was missing and B. had NO idea I knew how to walk to school from our house. I returned to my class and continued for the rest of the day. When school was over and my Mom picked us all up from school she asked me how I knew how to get to school? I told her I just walked the same way she drove us!

Tubes

When I was about 6 or 7 I had to have tubes put in my ears because of repeated ear infections. Now I guess today when this procedure happens its relatively painless...of course 30 years ago this was NOT the case. My Dad took me for the "procedure" and I was taken (ALONE) into a room where I was told to lay down on a table (read operating table). I was told to turn my head to the right. Then the brought over this HUGE SCARY looking machine and lined up a DRILL to my ear. The proceeded to DRILL A HOLE in my ear. I screamed and screamed and screamed LOUDLY for what seemed like hours. I was grabbing the nurses hand and screaming. Then when they were done they told me to turn my head to the left. I looked at them like they were NUTS...repeat this AGAIN are you kidding me...! I even asked them if they could put me out since this was such cruel and unusual punishment. They said no there was no need...no need. Can you imagine?!??!?! Then I grabbed the nurses hand again and sure enough the second ear hurt even more then the FIRST. When I was finished I left the room and ran into my Dad's arms who looked at the Dr's questioningly "like what did you do in there a frontal lobotomy??" But they just ushered us up to the front desk to pay our fee. When we returned home I laid down in my parents bed for the rest of the day sobbing.

Perspective

When I was in 2nd grade we had a assignment to write what we wanted to be when we grow-up. I was raised in a Catholic family and went to Catholic school. I had a Great_aunt who was a nun..you can see where this is going right?? Sure enough I wrote my essay on becoming a Nun. I even drew a lovely picture of a Nun on the back page covered with hearts and crosses. I remember standing up to read my essay and when I was finished I looked up at my teacher (who was a Nun) whose mouth was hanging agape...I thought it was odd at the time. She composed herself and said "Well welcome to the order we'd be happy to have you" and then I sat down oddly pleased with my choice. Fast forward to present day...happily married with a daughter...good grief what was I thinking in the second grade?!?!?