Blood Brothers

I fell off my bike Friday on the way to school. Now there is about ½ pound of Tim-flesh smeared all over the intersection of Exchange Parkway and Allen Heights drive. It was a good fall, as falls go – nothing broken, I just got peeled back a little.

I quit dripping blood before school started, but there was no hiding the beautiful, red, new wounds on my arm, hand, and knuckles from my students, (Fortunately they can’t see the huge raspberry on my right butt cheek!) so I had to recount the incident for each new class.

Of course, every young rider has a bike wreck story to tell, all of them much better than mine. By the time I heard all the tales of stitches, broken bones, scraped up body parts, and crashing through fences it was hard to get back to the lesson.

My principal thought it was hilarious, (I agree) Nurse Fry made me promise to slow down, and the staff offered to take up a collection for training wheels.

I’m just looking forward to the night I can sleep on my side again.

All in a Day

The thing about running to school early is that you get to see the sky turn that deep shade of blue which has no name. I love that star-speckled blend of earth and space that washes eternal perspective over my narrow little fretting mind.

The thing about having an all out hoot with 6 years olds singing songs about mashed potatoes and bees with sunburned knees, is you might forget you are 44 years older.

The thing about working a consistent, firm, and unbending discipline plan with Sammy for 5 weeks is that he might decide to become a perfectly behaved music student during class on the 6^th week.

The thing about running the long way home from school after the sun sets is that you might meet a coyote by the woods, and wonder if he and his buddies have eaten yet today.

The thing about harvesting you supper by flashlight in the back yard is it tastes so good right out of the pan.

The thing is, I feel undeservedly favored.