Thursday, August 12, 2010

Trouble is my middle name (not really)

I was a good kid.  I didn't get into too much trouble. And honestly the only real trouble I got into as at home with my big brother.  Other than that, I was good.
Except once.
One time I got into big trouble.
Like sent to the prinicipal's office big trouble.
And I lied to my mom about it.
But the truth came out. 

Fourth grade girls are mean.  I was a fourth grade girl and I was mean.  Groups of three girls is never good. One always gets left out and in this instance I was the girl leaving the other one out.

I have no idea why I did what I did.  I guess that just goes to show how small and stupid it was probably was.  But either way, it happened.  Two of us decided to gang up on the third person in our trio.  In ganging up on her, we I wrote what I called a petition against her.  Basically it said things like "I will not be ____'s partner in line." "I will not ask ________ to go to the bathroom with me." "I will not invite _______ over my house to play." "I will not walk home with ______."
And the list went on and on.
Not only did my other friend and I sign this petition, but we had our classmates sign it as well.  I think we aimed to get our whole class to sign it. 
I am so embarrassed even writing this.  As a teacher and now a mother, I would be FURIOUS at this behavior. Really disgusting.
Well, the girl's mom found out (probably because she went home crying about it) and called the principal. 
The next morning I get sent down to the principal's office. I had no idea I was in trouble.  He was a big dude. Super nice guy unless you crossed him. Then he could scare the shi** out of you.  And that is what he did to me. I don't remember exactly what he said, but it ended with lots of tears and ripping the petition up and apologizing profusely to the girl (who was my friend...ugh girls are so mean!)

I never said anything to my parents.  I figured I would never have to.  The principal and the teacher didn't call home, so I was home free.

Until we were going on a class trip a few weeks later and the chaperones? My mom and her mom.  I remember so clearly going into my parent's bedroom and telling my mom what happened and how sorry I was and all the details.  And boy was she pissed. Not even so much about the incident but about me not telling her when it happened.

The three of us went on to remain friends through elementary school.  But I gotta be honest when I think back to stuff like this, it makes me really scared to have a girl. I see how mean girls can be to each other from childhood through adulthood. 
I hope Jenna's nice.  That's all - I don't care so much about intelligence or looks or any of that.  I just hope I can raise her to be a good person.


This was written as part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.
Mama's Losin' It

7 comments:

  1. Stopping by from Mama Kats - I remember doing stuff like that around the same age. Its amazing how mean kids can be. I never got called to the Principles office but I got in trouble for writing a note to someone with cuss words in it and never told my mom.....

    Great Post :)

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  2. I bet it was a little therapeutic to write about it though. Girls are mean. Nothing you can do about it now but teach yours to be different.

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  3. I've never understood how girls can be so mean - must be something to do with the hormones..
    Stopped in from Mama Kat's.

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  4. I'm terrified of the coming years. I know now mean girls can be, and with having 4, I fear we are going to have the opportunity to be on BOTH ends of it at some point. Sigh. Give me strength!

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  5. my daughter is 4 and already has the mean girl thing down pat. I never noticed it until I helped with a field trip with her preschool. I watched her snub one of her little friends to hang out with the "cool pretty" girls. I had a hard time wrapping my mind around it. She is in preschool for crying out loud. I guess they start early now :)

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  6. We all did crazy things when we were kids. It was all part of the learning experience! My girl comes home with the craziest stuff as well.

    I am your newest follower from the blog hop.

    If you get the chance, would love for you to come visit me at my blog!

    Hazel
    Critique of the Unique
    http://critiqueoftheunique.blogspot.com

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  7. I saw some girls trying to exclude another at the playground today. they were like 4. and the moms intervened. i was like damn that mean girl stuff starts early! ouch!

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