I am at school and I am completely stressed and overwhelmed with the full, no-break schedule and Covid stress. I try to change my schedule, but it gets even worse when some of the Alternative School boys are put into my room for a period. I think to myself, "I just CAN'T!"
I call my principal and tell her I can't do it! She tells me that I can go out in the hall and walk around for a few hours to de-stress. I tell her that won't be enough - that I just REALLY can't do this anymore. Somehow I make it through the day and find myself in the afternoon at a Spanish/FFA event. I walk around and am disturbed at the size of the crowd during the pandemic. I see Andy Beshear walking hurriedly to give a speech. I couldn't believe that he would attend an event like this under the circumstances. I thought maybe he wanted to speak because the people there really *needed* to hear his message.
In part of the event space there was a craft fair going on. I walked around seeing booths featuring different kinds of crafts and crafters. In one area women were selling handmade jewelry. In another area, women say on the floor in rows, each with glass of brightly colored wine in all hues. I run into a girl named April from high school. She sees that I don't have a ticket to the craft fair and she gives me an extra ticket she had. She asks me, "Are you hanging out with me because you want to be my friend or something? Or is it for some other reason?" I don't know what to say.
I have four students with me and we walk out to a building with a porch. We sit down on the floor of the porch and several students from inside the building come out and sit with us in a circle. We are not socially distant and one girl is wearing her mask below her nose. Trying to be firm but sympathetic, I say, "I'm sorry, I'm going to need you to scoot away from me or to wear your mask properly." She replies rudely, "Ugh, I don't need help from YOU with MY personal hygiene!" Now really annoyed, I smile and reply, "Well - it appears that you do!"
I fall asleep on the porch and I wake up with this girl hovering over my face breathing wetly and heavily into my mouth in order to upset me. I jump up and grab her by the hair. While holding her hair tightly so she can't get up or move, I address my four students, "Firstly, I want you to know that I am not going to take revenge on this girl. This is not a violence thing. I'm just holding her still so I can say what I need to say to you all. I don't think it's safe for you all to hang out here, but you can make your own decision. I'm going to let go of this girl's hair and walk away, and that will be that." I let go and my students agree that the girl was out of line to breathe into my mouth. They don't follow me as I walk away.
I am carrying several bags and boxes down a hallway. I am sharply dressed and still have an adrenaline rush from confronting the bad girl. I am trying to carry my items fiercely and confidently, but they keep shifting around and getting awkward. I finally set them all down so I can pick them up again in a way that they will be balanced and I can catwalk down the hallway.
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