Forgetfulness

Every year when school is getting ready to start, I feel like I  turn into an Alzheimer's patient. I get my mind going in a thousand crazy ways and I forget the normal day to day things. Like today, my mind is racing...gotta sort those papers, I wonder what is on those 22 new science worksheets, I need to find mini surfboard cutouts, or maybe palm trees, or hibiscus flowers, or flip flops, or something beach-y, why do I laminate when I hate to cut it out? why am I so afraid of heights that I can't stand on a chair in my classroom? Why don't I keep a list of things to do at the beginning of the year so I don't forget everything? I should make one and laminate it and keep it from year to year....but then I'd have to cut it out...You get the point. A million things are rolling around in my head. And they have time limits. School will start whether or not I finish everything.

So, when I am doing the mundane everyday things, I seem like a total crazy person. I just went to the store to pick up things for the weekend and if you were to see me there, you would be ashamed to know me.

I was going to get my hubby some diet citrus green tea. It's on sale for $4. Not bad, so I loaded it in my cart, and then decided that he doesn't need it, since $4 now seemed like an outrageous price. I went and put it back. I did contemplate abandoning the tea in the toilet paper aisle, but I thought that if another teacher came along who is suffering from the same bout of crazy that I am, that they might pick it up absently, and thinking it is TP, receive quite the surprise in the bathroom later. So I took it back to its home.

Then at the check out, I was obsessing over a gum purchase and didn't realize the lady was ready to start ringing up the groceries that weren't even on the conveyor belt yet. Needless to say, the people behind me were less than thrilled. Then I gave her my discount card and grabbed my wallet to pay, but there was no debit card in there. Now for the frantic digging. I was searching and searching and fighting the urge to tell everyone, "Yes, I really do have some money, I just can't find it" but I quietly looked instead. I gave a big sigh of relief upon finding it, paid for my groceries and promptly left my entire wallet (which now contained my debit card) on the counter. The cashier waved it at me and I went to get it and began to head to my car. Too bad I had lost my keys by this time. You guessed it. They were on the counter as well, but well camouflaged, so when I came back I could feel either pity, sympathy, or just plain disgust from all the people around the counter. I couldn't tell exactly. I grabbed my keys, trying not to make eye contact.

I got my stuff, loaded my car, headed home, where I sit now still in the teacher haze.  I can't be the only one who suffers from this! A support group may be necessary, although we may not all be able to find our way there, or remember where to meet, or when to meet, or why we are there. Perhaps I must just suffer silently.

Or maybe, the sign of a good school year is relative to the amount of crazy the teacher possesses prior to the beginning of the year. If that is the case, then prepare for the best year ever!!