March 2023 SOLC–Day 6
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org
Wait. What?
I was at a last minute impromptu staff meeting on Friday afternoon. Maybe I hadn’t been listening quite as intently as I should have been. (Blizzard coming, food to buy, wood to stack, report card comments to write, etc.. Oh. And don’t forget the aforementioned “Friday afternoon!”)
I couldn’t have heard her say…
“Yes,” she replied with toxic positivity convincing enthusiasm. “That’s right. For next week. Isn’t it great!? We’re sooooo excited about it!”
My jaw dropped.
My brain started frantically churning, trying to remember what she’d said. Trying to put together the pieces of this impossible puzzle.
- A new fundraising week. (“What a great opportunity!”)
- We had to come up with the fundraiser ideas. (“You all are so creative!”)
- Everyone was supposed to have a different idea. (“Like a fun fair of fundraisers!”)
- It was due to begin next week. (“Maybe the timing isn’t great, but … you can do it!”)
- Report cards were still due on Tuesday. (“You’ve got this!”)
My brain felt like it was shorting out. I think my eye started twitching.
Danger! Danger! Information overload!
We gathered up our belongings. No one made eye contact. Other than the warning messages screaming in my brain, it was silent as we filed past our beaming Assistant Principal and into the hallway.
Suddenly, a blaring sound filled the school.
Now, what!?!
We looked from left to right, trying to find the source.
The noise continued, insistent and unabated, filling the hallways. It definitely wasn’t the fire alarm…
People started to move a bit faster. To look even more apprehensive.
What could it be?
Then I realized.
I took a deep, relieved breath…
rolled over and turned off my alarm.
It had all been a dream.
Phew!
(With apologies to our Assistant Principal who is not nearly this insane and while upbeat and positive, never veers into toxicity!)
Nix the comfort zone 
You certainly captured the mood of your “dream faculty meeting.” As I was reading I was saying, “wait! What?!!”
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Now it’s funny, but in the dream moment it really was jaw dropping!
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What a nightmare! I found myself getting angrier and angrier as I read your piece. What a relief to get to the end!
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I certainly was relieved!
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I didn’t see the ending coming, and I was nodding along wondering if Maine had gotten hit harder than I’d heard about over the weekend. Good to know it was a figment of your imagination!
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Somehow my dream Assistant Principal didn’t clarify why we were having all these fundraisers…and, in my dream, I didn’t even question it. Just thought of it as one more insane thing to do! lol
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Ah! The whole time I was like WHAT DID I MISS?? Fundraiser?!? “I think my eye started twitching!”
captures the feeling of being overwhelmed perfectly. After so many to-do’s and worries outside of school, more and more gets piled on. Not good that you’re having school stress dreams!
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But hey, I got a slice out of it! lol
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Dreams like that are miserable in the moment, but nothing feels sweeter than the sound of an alarm! That overwhelming feeling of relief, now that’s a great way to start the day!
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It did start the day on a positive vibe. 🙂
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You totally got me with this one! Hilarious!
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Now it’s funny! It wasn’t so much before the alarm went off! lol
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This really worked. What does it say for all of us that this seemed at once ridiculous but at the same time believable. I was fooled. A lot of times a very vivid and dream seemed believable inside the dream but totally implausible when I related it to someone. This one, apparently had enough realism to fake us all out. I particularly liked your use of the strikethrough!
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You definitely got me on this one! I was indignant that anyone would expect teachers to do this fundraising AND be working on report cards! Great slice (and horrifying dream).
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I was completely captured by your “dream”. Delightful read and very reminiscent of school life. Loved the “toxic positivity”. A colleague’s face popped immediately in my mind.
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