I don't know all that many people in Arcos, so I always get excited to see one of my 300 or so Spanish schoolchildren around town. I have come to realize, however, that seeing me usually inspires some excitement for the kids, and then fear. Miss Jenna, out in the wild? What to do?
Similar to a zoo, the children are thrilled to see me move around and make utterances when in the confines of a classroom. Sometimes they chant my name when I enter or cheer or even take pictures. This adds to my sense that the kids might actually, you know, like me.
In the supermarket or on the street, though, it's more like the kids are on safari. They spot me, they grin, and then they get nervous. Avoid eye contact! She might growl (in English)! She might advance toward me! She might....well, I'm not even sure of all that they're afraid of. But I do remember when I was a kid that some people just didn't exist out of a certain sphere of my life. Schoolteachers were NOT real people and therefore had no need to buy groceries or be anywhere outside their cages...ahem, classrooms.
Lesson: lions are cute and cuddly when you watch them from outside a protective glass barrier, but when you could be prey to their claws and golden manes (allow me that), you're best off just freezing, hoping they haven't seen you, and slinking off in the opposite direction as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Which is exactly what my children do.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment