I Stand Corrected

A incident that took place just a few mins ago when I visited my child's school needs to be narrated, as it taught me a lesson I thought I had alread learn. Like most Friday's, I packed my little one into my van, to drop him for his extra classes before school. Once in the parking lot, I do the usual routine of kissing his head and telling him all the right things to be done through out the day, a ritual most moms do with out fail. My little boy looks at me and then gives a lopside smile, making it very clear that this was what he expected to hear but does not really need to hear it again and again. Once that taken was taken care, of we march into the school building, and greeted the teachers. Again I kiss him goodbye, definately adding to his embarrasement. Mom's duty all done, I walk out with a smug smile, clicking my heeled boots on the side walk to my van.

Once inside, out of habit, took out my Android and checked updates and emails. While scanning through them, I chanced to see a guy get out of his car just a few feet to my right. As if by natural insticts my head whipped up. I see, a young fellow hardy in his early 20's, well dressed and walking with a joyful gait. The thing that perked my curoisity about his presense in the school, was his ear piercing. He had a peg in his ear, the side of coat button. He definately was not a parent and he was neither a teacher, as I consider myself a well versed parent, to be sure of who are the staff memebers of this particular school. I fidgeted in my seat, the warmth of my heater seeping in, debating about what should I do. Do I get down of the van and follow this guy and know his purpose of the school visit, or that would be crossing my limits?

Well, there you go the Mom won, and I switched off the van, and off I trodded back into the school building, defiantly clicking my heals. I looked around the corridor and did not see any sign of the person of interest. I marched myself to the office room, finding a pretext to chat up the office person, who I know for last 10years. Bingo, there was my target signing some papers and chatting happily with my source of information. Then he, picked up his bag and marched into the library. I smiled at the office lady and asked cheerfully, who "my person of interest was". The answer was what I was not sure I wanted to hear, he was a student teacher. Oh my God, my mind was whirling and swrilling. A student teacher, with a peg in his ear is going to work with my kid. Oh oh...thinking of all the effects and after effects its going to bring, made me quite amgry at the principle.

As if the principle, heard my thoughts, she stepped out of her office and looked at me. I smiled and then with a straight face, asked if I could stay a bit longer in the school premsss just to watch my child in the library, while he was in his extra classes. She seem to understand more than I needed to tell her, and nodded with a twinkle in her eye.

The scene I got to watch for the next 10 mins, changed my conception and made me so deeply assamed of my prejudiced and judgemental attitude, that I feel born all over again. The student teacher with a peg in his ear, whoes name I still do not know, was there with the 10 kids and the teacher in the media center. I did not need to go inside as the walls of the media center is all glass. He entered and all the girls in the group smiled and the boys waved a "hey". He definately was a favorite by all standards. He answered each and every kid individually and then pulled out things from his back pack. Handing them over one by one to each child he settled himself among them. The way the kids gravitated to him and the found him an ally to work with, surprised me. The huge black button on his ears did not bother them, and I was the one making all kind ofassumptions. He meticulously worked with each kid, smile, parting encouragement, and helping hand when the children needed it. Feeling all of a sudden concious of myself standing on the hallway, and gawking at the kids inside the media center, I dragged myself into the office of the principle. She was all smiles, and I thanked her and said that was sorry too. She just smiles and said, you do not have to feel sorry, you send us your precious bundles, you have all rights to know who is working with him or her during the 8 hours they spend with us. Assured and reprimanded, I trudged back to my van. Strangely enough my 3 inch heeled boots did not make me feel too tall and the clicking sound was muffed and not as defiant as before.