Candy!

Today’s craziness is brought to you from the teacher’s room – not my classroom. Every once in awhile I do something so crazy, so nutty, that I feel I must share. While it may not directly have to do with teaching or my students, it might give you a clearer picture of the spirit and energy I try to share with my co-workers and students.

This morning, as I was rushing to use the bathroom before my sprouts arrived, I walked by the vending machine and literally stopped in my tracks. A Hershey’s chocolate bar was dangling from its spot. You know, when you’ve scrounged your money in the bottom of your top desk drawer for that candy fix, escaped to the teacher’s room for two seconds, and then, the machine doesn’t turn the spiral contraption holding your candy all the way and it just hangs there taunting you? That was was was staring at me from the vending machine.

Well some poor soul had this happen to them and apparently walked away from the machine in disgust… how could they just leave? I took one look at that hanging candy bar and saw one thing… free chocolate! I walked over and began shaking the machine. By this point a few co-workers had gathered to watch… one got close thinking if she tried to help me I might share my prize with her. I quickly maneuvered so I was blocking her attempts to help me.

That stubborn candy bar wouldn’t budge. In a last ditch effort, I pushed the door at the bottom of the machine open, inserted my foot, climbed up on the machine and began really rocking it. At this point, I may have looked like a major fool, but at least I was a determined fool. After about five minutes of jostling and rocking, the bar began to budge. Finally, it fell free and everyone in the room cheered. Free candy! Free candy!

I offered to share my trophy with the group, but nobody took me up on it… perhaps they didn’t have the heart to steal any of my thunder after such an effort? Persistence really does pay off.