Bullets

They say “Don’t sweat the small stuff” (and by “they” I, of course, mean that one author who wrote that one book, stealing the concept from standard use). Today, however, I am going insane with the small stuff. We have officially reached the countdown to days left of school (officially, because you can use only your fingers to count them), and senior slide has become everyone slide. Fellow teachers included (this does NOT exclude me, obviously, as I am blogging instead of working). I allow the laziness, stupidity, ambivalence, apathy of others to annoy me to the point of headache.

This is not always the case. Sometimes I am loosey-goosey, easy-going, don’t-let-anyone-rain-on-my-parade content and happy. Today is not one of those days. Today, I want to strangle people. But I won’t.

Here’s the skinny on the irritation: we are using the laptop carts in two of my classes today, equaling four of the five periods I teach. Courtesy has become bringing the laptop cart to the next person on the list. My colleague neglected to do this, AND had the wrong laptops on the wrong cart. But to him I say, “that’s okay; thanks!” when what I want to say is, “how hard is it to follow the directions!?!?!?!”. My students then do the same thing. Five minutes before the end of the class period I yell, “When you put your computer away, make sure it’s on the correct cart, in the correct slot, and plugged in!” at least 3 times. Then they don’t. NEVER have I had the carts and had them put away perfectly. Match the numbers, plug it in. To them I say, “How hard is this? A kindergartner could do it!!!”, and thus, they now probably do it just to annoy me. And you know what? It works.

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Instead, looking forward to tonight. After school, a quick department meeting, and then my literary arts magazine students are coming in for our end-of-the-year party. We are snacking and watching a literary movie (we are voting between Finding Forrester, Dead Poets Society, With Honors, and another one I can’t remember). I baked cupcakes. They are darlings.

Then, to Suzanne’s for Book Club Reborn, Part II. We read Dubliners by James Joyce, and it was quite good. I look forward not only to discussing good literature with good friends, but also to dining, laughing, gossiping, and the like. Friends are God’s gift to stressed people.