The Principal's Office

This morning I was having a coffee meeting at the cutest little market and they had Valentine's candy out already.

Looking at the candy made me yearn for the days of elementary school when things were so easy.

When everyone got a card, and you made special ones for your friends. When NECCO hearts were all you needed to be happy.

Then it made me think of my most traumatic Valentine's day experience ever.

I can't remember what grade I was in, but Match.mom had purchased me cards for all of my classmates along with those heart suckers that come in the long string of packaging. So I worked diligently on writing a nice card out to each member of my class (probably paying special attention to a boy or two...) and put the cards and suckers into a paper grocery bag to take to school.

Sometime between getting to school and distributing the goodies, the bag was stolen. I was devastated!

I'm pretty sure I cried.

Either way, when it was determined who had stolen the bag, we both had to go to the principal's office. I can remember how scared I was. (This was back in the day's of paddling.)

I vividly remember the feeling of my stomach being in knots. Sitting in the chair, on the verge of tears while I waited for my turn to talk to the principal.

I hadn't done anything wrong, so I don't know why I was so nervous, but I will never forget that feeling.

I actually don't remember anything about my actual discussion with the principal. And it was the last time I had  to visit a principal until my freshman year of high school.

But that's another story for another day.

I think, in the end, the cards and suckers were returned to me. Or maybe one of the playground aides bought me more suckers.

Either way, the sight of that Valentine candy in that little market this morning made me think of that for the first time in a long time.

Weird.