Heaven help you if you wander into a local establishment late on some Friday afternoon between August and May, expecting a quiet refuge and a glassful of rejuvenation. Especially if said establishment happens to be located within a mile or two of a school.
Chances are, your outing will be ruined by a rambunctious collective of teacher types, their four-top tables hastily strung together with absolutely no regard for the tidy symmetry of 90-degree angles.
Seems school folks can't be bothered with symmetry when their minds are worn down by what they've seen all week long. And yet, these tapped-out teachers readily put aside their differences--both curricular and mascot-based--just for the chance to gather and unwind.
I realize that the idea of scientist and grammarian, Spartan and Link, willingly sitting at the same table runs counter to at least one current educational trend (namely, the one that encourages like-minded folk to spend every waking moment in fervent and productive collaboration). Still, you'd be forgiven--if not exactly religiously accurate--for comparing these faculty festivities to one of the Christian Bible's more memorable images, namely that one in which lions and lambs are contentedly hanging out together.
To the untrained eye, these gatherings have the feel of 20-year class reunions, such is their noise and fervor. Ironically, many of those seated at the tables have seen each other within the past day or two. And yet, upon spotting one another, their enthusiasm is palpable.
My advice to you, should you happen upon such a sighting? Treat your experience the way a tourist on an African safari would treat the spotting of a pride of lions--with patience and from a safe distance. Granted, teachers are not dangerous, but, seated in the worn wood chairs of a local eatery, loudly swapping ridiculous tales and tasty treats, they might seem a bit baffling to the untrained eye.
No comments:
Post a Comment