Ever find yourself in an embarrassing position growing up? I did and it involved me, a huge puddle, and the middle of my elementary school field.

Year: 1994 or 1995
Grade: 5th Grade
Place: Lockhart Elementary School

Rainy Days at LES

Anybody who went to Lockhart Elementary before Hurricane Marilyn knows that when any heavy rain starts to fall, a huge puddle of water was the result in the center of the school. Between the lunchroom and the back entrance of the main office was the first place to be filled with water.

I knew that. The other kids knew that. But that didn’t stop us from running around and playing that day.

It was almost time to line up to get to class and for some reason, one of the class clowns* thought it would be fun to chase me around the field. I don’t even know how it got started or why I even ran, but I was playing along. I should have known then that disaster was not too far behind.

As I ran near the huge puddle that had built in the corner of the field, my foot slid from under me and my body moved in slow motion towards the ground. I don’t know if it was slow motion or not, but I remembered every frame of that fall until I made a big SPLASH right into the puddle.

What A Mess!!

There I was laying in the middle of the puddle, surrounded by my entire class and lord knows who else. I had no clue where to begin with the mess that covered me from the front of my school uniform, down to my socks.

How water got all into my socks was beyond me, but it had happened and now I didn’t know what the hell to do. I couldn’t go back to class covered in this mess and as the class clown stood there apologizing over and over, I shut out his voice and just wanted to scream.

My impulse to scream was drowned out by the sound of someone from the principal’s office calling myself and the class clown over to where she stood with her arms crossed watching the both of us. I don’t know how long she was standing there or how much she had seen, but I kept my mouth shut as I walked over to her. I’ve never been much of a tattle tale (much to my detriment, I would find out later in life), so I didn’t have much to say about the whole thing.

Of course the class clown was already apologizing so he had given himself away, but I was as much to blame as he was. I was the one running around near a puddle of mud when I knew better. I was the one covered in filth as he got to go back to class with the rest of the other students.

Trip to the Principal’s Office

My father was called from the main office to come and pick me up. There I sat and waited until he came. I was given some tissue to wipe off the mud from my body and when I went to class to get my book bag, my teacher added even more tissue into my blouse to keep the wet clothes off of me. Because it wasn’t embarrassing enough walking into the classroom covered in mud, now to be smothered by my teacher like a baby. Don’t get me wrong, I loved  my teacher dearly, but then was not the time.

The best part of that day was that I got to leave and go home early. I don’t even remember what I did for the rest of that day. Hell, I don’t even remember what happened at school the next day. The crazy thing is I do remember somebody else taking the same fall that I had on another day and me thinking to myself, “Yep, I’ve been where you are buddy. It’ll pass.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Names weren’t used to protect the innocent.

Have a once embarrassing, now maybe a little humorous story of your own? Please share in the comments, so this Island Gurl can laugh with you!! “Don’t worry buddy. I’ve been where you are.”😄😜