blogs.salon.com/0003522/2005/06/06.html#a576
I got a call from the elementary school administrative assistant this mor ning. She didn't give me time to answer, to ask questions, her voice disappeare d as if someone cut the line. I stood in the kitchen, my bare feet achin g from yesterday's marathon, and I took a deep breath. My son can be a n ut at times, but he's never done the kinds of things that troubled kids do. He doesn't talk back, he doesn't pick fights, and he's never destroy ed property. I couldn't picture him doing anything scholastically evil. Maybe he stripped and ran around the school naked, I thought. She closed the door tightly behind me and invited me to sit in a stuffed orange vinyl chair. "Mrs Jaworski, 8 has been suspended from school for one day." She wore a n arctic blue power jacket over black slacks, and I self-consciously tri ed to pull my hooded sweatshirt further over my pink pajamas. And sorry for my attire, but I ran a marathon yesterda y and I'm too sore to change this morning." I tried to infect her with m y smile, but she wore a tight-lipped expression as frosty as her jacket. I picked at the hem of my sweatshirt, loo ked just to the right of her face. I did n't laugh a little, either, but I belly-laughed and grabbed my stomach. My son stood with his class this morning, put small right hand over hear t, faced the American flag, and recited his own personal pledge of alleg iance: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United Federation of Planets, and to the galaxy for which it stands, one universe, under everybody, with l iberty and justice for all species. The Pledge is an extremely important and patriotic moment each morning in the classroom. I am ashamed of you r son's behavior, and I hope you are, too." But I stood, extended my hand, apologized for my laughter, slung my purse over my shoulder, opened her door to find my son, 8, red -eyed sitting on the wooden bench bordering the World Map wall. I'm sitting here, working on computer things, and Mr 8 sits in the livin g room. He has to write the "real" pledge of allegiance fifty times befo re he can return to school.
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