On my first day of middle school, I accidentally walked into the boys’ bathroom. I’ve never quite recovered from the humiliation.
On Tuesday, as I was walking through the auditorium at the middle school where I now work, I caught the heel of my boot on some barely visible dip in the linoleum and face planted… in front of thirty sixth graders. Before I’d even figured out what had happened, I could hear them laughing. I’d probably have been laughing too, but I was a little bit hurt. The heel of my hand was pretty banged up, my wrist felt wonky and of all injuries, the heel of my boot had broken in the fall.
Also, I was pretty embarrassed. It was the bathroom incident all over again! Fucking middle school.
I stood up, brushed the white smudge off the knee of my black pants and looked around the auditorium. I recognized a few faces among the laughing kids – kids I’d helped out one or twice in my short time at the school. Then it occurred to me…
“Hey!” I pointed at the kids I knew. “It’s not funny. Well, maybe a little funny. But I got hurt. And you can bet I’d never laugh if it had happened to you.”
Then I turned around and marched/limped back to my office. I have my doubts that the laughing stopped. Once in my office, I looked at the desk phone and thought about calling my mom.
“I hate middle school and I want to come home!”
OUCH!!! sorry that happened to you. sounds like you need a hug. have a nice rest-of-the-weekend, fish.
I’m old enough that it was called junior high when I was there. One day I was holding onto my homeroom’s door frame, leaning into the doorway next door to talk to someone when someone shut my homeroom door. Big oak door, solid steel frame. My first three fingers were crushed. Bleeding, had-to-go-to-hospital-for-surgery crushed. And the last thing I saw before I was hustled upstairs to the nurse’s office was my “friends” flicking my now-detached fingernails across the room.
Firetrucking junior high. If I hadn’t been whacked to the gills on morphine when I came back to school the next day, I’d've killed somebody.
Oh Fish…If I had been there I would have at least waited until you left the room to chuckle.
The bright side….at lest you were wearing pants & not a skirt that went over your head & left your bare bottom in the air!!
I feel your pain. Just last week I tripped while getting on a bus and sent a handful of change flying everywhere. Even worse, the driver refused to drive away from the corner until I had crawled around picking it all up and paid my fare. Horrible. Luckily grown-ups can be a bit kinder about these things.
Hi Fish. I live in Italy and found your blog through….hmmmm I don’t remember any more but it doesn’t matter. It’s a lot of fun and I’m glad I did! I’m sorry about your spill…glad you’re ok, and hope you feel better soon.
i hated middle school. what a nightmare. i love to hear from someone that actually has fond memories of that tumultuous time.
Blair’s comment brought back a horrible repressed memory from 7th grade. This was 1973 when platform shoes and miniskirts were in fashion, and that day, I was wearing the highest of platforms and the shortest of minis. I was kickin’it, walking up some stairs with some FINE boys behind me, when I tripped, fell flat on my face, and felt cold air on my bottom as I realize my miniskirt was up around my waist. Thank God no one except strippers had heard of thongs in those days. Putting things in perspective, I was embarrassed then, but now, thirty pounds heavier, I’d be MORTIFIED (on the other hand, I don’t dress hoochie anymore).
On my first day of middle school, I accidentally walked into the boys’ bathroom. I’ve never quite recovered from the humiliation.
Wow me too! Except for me, it was the third day, and I was having my first period, and freaking out. But I know what it’s like. I hope your knee/wrist is better.
I’m a teacher at a middle school and have plenty of days like that…everyday is an adventure! I think that you handled yourself great. Hang in there.
Dear Fish…
Sixth graders are pretty tough these days. You have my heartfelt sympathy. But most importantly, how is the boot? Will it survive? Has it had a check-up yet?
Ciao, Teri
yuck. i hate falling/tripping in front of people. i’ve always been rather clumsy, and it never fails that someone is around every time i fall. ugh.
i am coming to NY for a few days next weekend….. if i see you, i am totally giving you a hug.
I had a dream last night were I did something similar, only I was being called on stage and my foot got stuck on the curtain, and I fell. The entire audience stared and laughed. Damned dream people with no manners.
Well, at least it wasn’t like in front of the cutest guy in school.
Dang. I know how you feel…I work with High Schoolers. Hope you heal up real soon.
The trick is to laugh at yourself before they can laugh at you. Trust me, I’m a middle school teacher.
Ohhhhh that is the SADDEST. 6th graders… pffff you could take em!
I know how you feel. I work at a junior high school. ugh.
a Jerusalem ‘fish’ on his way to the
dead sea will do just fine, thank you.
Jerusalem Light
A beacon flame
guarding Truth
while others
are cast
on the reef
of unbelief.
jfrancis
I totally feel your pain i was on my way home and totally wiped out but before i could hit the pavement i grabed hold of one of those titering starbucks signs thinking i would catch my self, no such luck the sign came crashing down with me. oh the horror.
HA! Sorry…I know how you feel. I work in a 1-8 building and I’m constantly doing stupid things. But I also coach the highschool swimteam. First swim meet I was getting off the bus…(first person, mind you) and I totally bit it down the steps. Boom, boom, boom. My pride was a little hurt, but my body showed the bruise.
Enjoy reading you blog!
“The trick is to laugh at yourself before they can laugh at you.”
Spot on! Sheepish grin, wry sigh, move on.
horrid, horrid memory of being notified by the hottest guy in school that I had, indeed, just gotten my period all over my white painter’s pants. All these years later and I still cringe. The only relatively decent thing that came of it was that he offered to walk me down to the office, and he walked very close behind me so no one else could witness my embarrassment. He was not only hot, but had a good heart.
The first rule of falling in public, DON”T GET UP – wait for the ambulance to haul you away. Once you are a block or two away just ask them to drop you at the nearest shoe repair shop.
heather- Ouch. Hope you are okay. All the kids in middle school know that when you take a spectacular spill in front of the class you quickly stand up and say “I meant to do that”. -gregg
The thing is, to them it was funny. And if you were them you would have laughed too. But as long as they still come to you for help, I think you’re save
oh i wish i could share your embarrassment. for me, i was most embarrased when i, at the age of 10, laughed so hard at my crush’s joke that i wet my pants. in front of him.
i really have never recovered. i now pee obsessively and don’t laugh as much.
damn the way embarrassment changes us.
-natalie
Really? Likely a three-day weekend for you and no posts? Bummer.
Middle School just doesn’t get any better with the intervening years…to many hormones bubbling to the surface and the constant challange of “one up manship” and “big put downs”…
…just be thankfull it didn’t happen as you walked into the boys bathroom repeating a mistake from years ago.
It was 36 years ago today – Friday, January 16, 1970 – that I was sitting in my seventh-grade class with a stomachache, hoping that I’d make it through the hour or so until dismissal. Suddenly, the pain transformed into nausea, and I knew I’d better get to the restroom prono. No even bothering to ask, I got up from my desk and began running toward the door right across the front of the classroom. I *almost* made it to the door. To this day, I can remember the extreme humiliation.
Poor fish…look on the bright side, my eight year old took a face plant about 2 weeks ago. you know the lure of a polished linolium floor and socks… Anyway, a trip to the ER, CATscan, and surgery later…She has to show up at 3rd grade tomorrow with a big nose cast in the middle of her face. Bruised Pride bleeds less, heals fast (sometimes).
I accidentally walked in the menâs bathroom. Iâve never quite recovered from that humiliation.
I taught in middle school for three years I’m with phc on this if you show weakness they’ll circle like wolves in a pack. Good luck.
I feel your pain. During my Senior prom I was getting out of the limo and stepped on my dress,dropped my purse causing all of it’s contents to fall out all over the place, and to make matters worse the hottest guy in school was standing right before me with his hot date.
No matter how old you get you never outgrow those adolescent insecurities.
I hope you have a speedy recovery!
Fish, you’re not alone. The same embarrassing bathroom incident happened to me in 2nd grade. Worse yet, someone told the teacher about it after it happened, and the teacher warned me in front of the whole class never to do that again. Talk about embarrassing!
One word: gutted. lol I agree with the “I meant to do that” statement Kids can be so cruel (I am only young myself)
People laugh with you…at you… the person who you must always listen to though is YOURSELF! To hell with every one else.