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Old Memory, Fresh Wounds
2 years ago
They say time heals wounds. Events that have taken place 25, or so years ago is nothing more than just "water under the bridge". But what do you do when there is no bridge to help you on your path to forget the things that have happened in the past?
I ask this, because last night I had a dream that took me back in time to a point in my life I hoped I would never see again.
It was the Spring of 1996. At 11 years old, I attended a middle school in Bristol Florida Its ways of education were by means of a strict iron fist ruling put forth by the Bible-run school district. A strong "Yes Sir, No Sir, Yes Ma'am, No Ma'am" control was drilled into every student's head. And those who acted out of line, were sent to the office immediately, where they would meet the fate of a principal with an extreme zero tolerance for anything that disrupted normal class teachings. The punishment? You had a choice. The first option was to sit inside of a hotbox classroom with no A/C for the whole day, writing a single spaced, 5 page essay on what you did, and why you did it. The only freedom, if you can call it that, you had was walking with the principal to the cafeteria to get your lunch, only to be escorted back to the classroom. And the second option, were 3 hard, firm licks from a thick wooden paddle, handle wrapped tightly in leather for a no-slip grip, and holes drilled into the surface to prevent wind resistance. Needless to say, I've known quite a few students who went with the first option with barely any hesitation.
As for me, I sadly got both punishments. The reason, was because I was diagnosed with severe ADHD. I could not sit still in class, no matter how hard I tried. I was constantly looking around, taking in my surroundings. Often times, I would act up in class, whether it was making funny faces at the teacher behind their back, or even loudly breaking wind, causing the whole class to burst out into laughter. And quite often, I would be sent to the principal's office. It had reached a point the principal knew me on site, even outside of school.
And the dream I had last night, took me right back to those horrifying days. I sit here now, and just the memory alone brings back the pain and humiliation I felt 27 years ago. I can only that in today's society, the school has finally advanced forward from its draconic authoritarian ways of teaching.
That's about it for now.
Take care all.
I ask this, because last night I had a dream that took me back in time to a point in my life I hoped I would never see again.
It was the Spring of 1996. At 11 years old, I attended a middle school in Bristol Florida Its ways of education were by means of a strict iron fist ruling put forth by the Bible-run school district. A strong "Yes Sir, No Sir, Yes Ma'am, No Ma'am" control was drilled into every student's head. And those who acted out of line, were sent to the office immediately, where they would meet the fate of a principal with an extreme zero tolerance for anything that disrupted normal class teachings. The punishment? You had a choice. The first option was to sit inside of a hotbox classroom with no A/C for the whole day, writing a single spaced, 5 page essay on what you did, and why you did it. The only freedom, if you can call it that, you had was walking with the principal to the cafeteria to get your lunch, only to be escorted back to the classroom. And the second option, were 3 hard, firm licks from a thick wooden paddle, handle wrapped tightly in leather for a no-slip grip, and holes drilled into the surface to prevent wind resistance. Needless to say, I've known quite a few students who went with the first option with barely any hesitation.
As for me, I sadly got both punishments. The reason, was because I was diagnosed with severe ADHD. I could not sit still in class, no matter how hard I tried. I was constantly looking around, taking in my surroundings. Often times, I would act up in class, whether it was making funny faces at the teacher behind their back, or even loudly breaking wind, causing the whole class to burst out into laughter. And quite often, I would be sent to the principal's office. It had reached a point the principal knew me on site, even outside of school.
And the dream I had last night, took me right back to those horrifying days. I sit here now, and just the memory alone brings back the pain and humiliation I felt 27 years ago. I can only that in today's society, the school has finally advanced forward from its draconic authoritarian ways of teaching.
That's about it for now.
Take care all.
dalesql
~dalesql
Ugly memories. I'm sorry you had to go through that.
We're about the same age, I still have an occasional stress dream about school. I'm showing up for the first day of class and I don't know my schedule. I have a test I didn't study for. I don't know where a certain classroom is, a general sense of helplessness. School was psychologically damaging in a lot of ways, it seems
Dynamite22
~dynamite22
OP
I've had dreams like that as well. Arriving to class with nothing, teachers handing out pop quizzes every five minutes, and even missing the bus. I'm willing to bet school caused a lot of issues for us in the past.
