Yes it’s true, my dentist thinks I’m a lesbian, and I do nothing to correct them. In fact, I think A and I encourage it. So here’s the story…

A doesn’t drive, and as a result has taken to coming to the dentist with me. We make appointments together. Oh, the dentist is an hour away. I started going there because I am a crazy, paranoid, horrible patient who needs drugs for a simple filling. Anyway, last November A and I went to the dentist. We were about 10 minutes late. They said that they had cancelled A’s appointment because we were late. She went off on them, and rightfully so. Saying things like, “You keep us waiting every time we come”, and “This is ridiculous”. I then offered to cancel mine and go shopping (mind you, I hate shopping too). They then said that it would be a $75 charge for canceling without 48 hours notice. A was livid! She then said that I should stay and stick with the appointment.

Finally all was resolved, I would keep my appointment and they would try to squeeze her in. They indeed called me back, and the first thing they do when you sit in a chair is to schedule your next appointment. Here was the first sign, that I missed:

The assistant asked, “So you two (meaning A) [slight hesitation] are together?”

Me: (completely clueless) Yeah (totally thinking that she was thinking that we came in together. I am a dolt).

The assistant: Oh, okay. How is ______ for your next appointment?

Me: That’s fine.

The assistant: Would you like to schedule A’s appointment too?

Me: No, I’m not sure what she wants (knowing that A is fuming about their treatment of us). She can schedule her own.

And the appointment goes on. I did find it odd that they never asked me to fill out a postcard as a reminder. However, the assistant did ask A to fill out the post card with BOTH our names on it. She found it odd, but went with it. Oh yeah, they squeezed her in.

When we left, we discussed (in the car) what transpired in the office. That’s when we realized that the Dentist thinks that we are a couple! We laughed for about 5 minutes. It’s now a running joke. And here’s the best par? A takes the ‘dominate or masculine’ role. This is funny because A is the most petite person you will ever meet. Everyone would assume, if we were a couple, that I was the ‘dominate or masculine’ one. I take that back, the whole damn thing is funny!

And we went back last week. A was kind enough to schedule an appointment for both of us. Yeah, we do nothing to correct their misconceptions. And come to think of it, they never asked me to fill out the stupid postcard again. I wonder if A filled it out for us? lmao!

I have just had the best ending to a 9 year story! Actually, the story begins almost 20 years ago; that’s when my parents got divorced. Without digging up the past that really has little to do with me, I’ll just stick to some facts. Fact 1: I was 23 when they got divorced. Fact 2: I am an only child. Fact 3: My mother later remarried a man who had 3 children (one daughter, two sons).

When my parents divorced, my mother retained ownership over my grandmother’s wedding ring…Like my father’s mother’s wedding ring. It was agreed by both of my parents that only 2 things should ever happen to the ring 1.) My mother was to give it to me at her discretion, or 2.) It was to be given to me upon her death.

My mother passed 9 years ago. No one had seen the ring in ages. Needless to say, I was disappointed that family possession had been lost. Everyone in my family told me that I would NEVER see that ring, I should kiss it good-bye, and that it was gone forever. I, on the other hand, held tight to the belief that it would magically show up one day.

And that’s exactly what happened! It magically appeared one day, a few weeks ago! This is one of the most amazing stories of my life. Here it is:

A few weeks after Christmas, I was surprised to find a Christmas card in my mailbox from my mom’s husband’s daughter, my step-sister. Even more amazing, is the time and energy she took to track me down. After my mother’s and her father’s death, we were in contact. We have always gotten along. Through the years, we lost contact. She asked me to email her in her card, which I happily did. It was nice to catch up and see how big her children are getting.

Then she tells me that while cleaning garages and storage units, she found a box of some of my mom’s things. Now, most people would just toss it especially considering that we had lost contact. But not my step-sister, she made sure to find me in order to return things that belonged to my mom, and family. There were some really great things in the box like both her parents’ military flags, photos, and jewelry. And I’m sure you’ve already guessed where this story is going. Yes, that box contained my grandmother’s wedding ring. I was so thankful and grateful to my step-sister, that I welled up. I was touched by her actions. I still well up.

So if everyone who reads this, could just take a moment and send some positive thoughts, vibes, energy, or prayers — whatever you do — to my step-sister, I would greatly appreciate it. I cannot thank her enough, I really don’t feel that she knows what a huge impact her actions have had. I will forever be thankful to her.

So I teach 5th grade this year. The kids I have are good. Sure some of them can cop an attitude, or even be a bit surly, but let’s be clear, I HAVE GOOD KIDS.

So when last week one student looked at another and yelled, “Shut it!”, because the other boy was annoying him in some way I was shocked. I never really found out what the problem was, because I was so bothered by the phrase, ‘Shut it’. I asked the offender of the phrase what made him think that that was okay to say. He refused to answer (when he gets made, he shuts down and we give him space). I then addressed the class, to give the boy his space, and explained that I wasn’t angry; I just wanted to know why they would think it was okay to say. They explained that Teacher A says it to them, and then went on to say that Teacher B also says it. I was aghast! To my mind, this is/was bullying.  This is not how children should be spoken to.

I then went on to apologize to them that any adult had spoken to them in such a manner. I continued to say that it was wrong and if an adult were to say that to me they would most certainly have a problem on their hands. They went on to tell me other rude things that had been said to them by Teacher A. I explained that we all have bad days, and sometimes things just sort of slip out, but when that happens the offender (Teacher A in this case) should apologize. And before you even ask yourself if I apologize, the answer is yes. In fact I had to apologize recently to the student who originally yelled ‘Shut it’. I got after him and the next day I went to him to apologize for what I had done. I told him that the way I handled the situation was wrong, and I could have done it differently. It doesn’t make up for what I did (I yelled), but I am human and I need to own my mistakes and learn from them.

Here is a word of advice to all adults out there. If you wouldn’t dare say it to another adult, like your own mother, don’t you dare say it to a child. And if you do, be prepared to apologize and monitor what you say more closely.