Save me

Yesterday I got my butt saved two times.

At 7:22 a.m. I swiped my metro card. The words 'Insufficient Fare' came up on the turnstile.

Shit, I thought. This was not a time to make a trip to the metrocard machine. My train was set to depart in approximately a minute. I buy monthly cards with a special debit pass for city employees. It takes a few minutes.

Then I remembered. I had a card in my wallet for two dollars. A few weeks ago my Dad was in town for a day. He used the card for a couple of rides and then gave me the card with the remaining amount.

I fished the card out, used it, and made it onto the train in the nick of time.

Later in the day third period was just beginning when the new Assistant Principal in charge of my department entered the room. He had his clipboard on. He was ready to do an observation.

This was hair-raising. Not only is he relatively tough but he did a formal observation of me a few weeks ago. My old AP would observe us once or twice a year and then be done.

Teachers in my department generally operate as follows: We put a lot of work into lesson plans the week someone is coming to our class and then we go back to slacking once the observation is done.

The new guy said he planned to observe all of us several times a semester but no one believed him. After he did a round of observations a few weeks ago everyone went back to slacking.

That is until he entered my room.

As the day progressed, word traveled quickly.

"I heard he came to see you again today!"

"Is he insane?"

"He is going to make me crazy."

I did, however, have a savior.

I was handing out a test when he came into my room. It was a test that would take the entire period. I shrugged at him and smiled at the test helplessly.

He left.

Rescue, small or large, still meets the same response.

Thank you.