Waking up later than I should have and feeling rather worn out, I decided to pull it together anyway for a Friday at the preschool. Getting a substitute is often more difficult than going to work, I reasoned, and I felt a whole lot better than I had the day before when I not only felt like I was going to throw up, but eventually did.
Walking down the hall toward the kitchen with my bleach bottles in hand, I was confronted by a coworker who asked why I was there. I had not drank enough coffee by that time to comprehend even the most basic of questions so I simply stated that I was there to work. She crossed her fingers at me as though I were some sort of vampire as I continued on with the task at hand. I always fill two bleach bottles about a quarter of the way full so we can spray toys, the changing table and anything else that needs to be kept germ-free, at least in theory.
Reaching the kitchen I heard others making comments about how surprised they were to see me at work and wondered why I was not observing the 24-hour rule, a rule that states that one is not to come to school until 24 hours have passed after one has exhibited signs of illness. I heard myself say out loud, "I didn't think this rule applied to me." I still have no idea why I said that.
My "illness" seemed to be no more than a fast-moving virus that created havoc with my digestive system for awhile until it tired of its game and moved on. It gave me a day off from eating, while I tried to remember how many years it had been since I had even gotten sick since I am not prone to this sort of thing. I remembered a food poisoning incident that left me begging for God's mercy while clinging to the coolness of the bathroom floor tile in the middle of the night years ago. I also remember getting the flu immediately after getting a flu shot one year, something I have refused to do ever since even though a well-meaning doctor insisted there is no correlation.
What seemed to confuse me more than anything else was why no one was asking me how I was doing. "How are you feeling, Mary Ellen?" was what I was expecting to hear. "We were concerned about you when you left work early," I thought they would say. But instead I felt like I would be held responsible for the next person making a quick retreat to the bathroom to do what I had done in the stall closest to the window the day before. If there was a sudden outbreak of sickness, it would be all my fault. Me--the instigator of disease, the culprit of a flu epidemic.
So in an effort to maintain order and not condone my lawless attitude, I was sent home to "rest." All peace would then be restored until the children would show up with their runny noses, persistent coughs and pale faces that indicate less than the picture of health as their parents hurriedly drop them off insisting that they are fine. A few parents over the years who have trusted me enough to be their confidant have admitted to me that their little darling actually threw up in the car on the way to school but were feeling so much better now that . . . well, the 24-hour rule just didn't have to apply to them, did it?
Walking down the hall toward the kitchen with my bleach bottles in hand, I was confronted by a coworker who asked why I was there. I had not drank enough coffee by that time to comprehend even the most basic of questions so I simply stated that I was there to work. She crossed her fingers at me as though I were some sort of vampire as I continued on with the task at hand. I always fill two bleach bottles about a quarter of the way full so we can spray toys, the changing table and anything else that needs to be kept germ-free, at least in theory.
Reaching the kitchen I heard others making comments about how surprised they were to see me at work and wondered why I was not observing the 24-hour rule, a rule that states that one is not to come to school until 24 hours have passed after one has exhibited signs of illness. I heard myself say out loud, "I didn't think this rule applied to me." I still have no idea why I said that.
My "illness" seemed to be no more than a fast-moving virus that created havoc with my digestive system for awhile until it tired of its game and moved on. It gave me a day off from eating, while I tried to remember how many years it had been since I had even gotten sick since I am not prone to this sort of thing. I remembered a food poisoning incident that left me begging for God's mercy while clinging to the coolness of the bathroom floor tile in the middle of the night years ago. I also remember getting the flu immediately after getting a flu shot one year, something I have refused to do ever since even though a well-meaning doctor insisted there is no correlation.
What seemed to confuse me more than anything else was why no one was asking me how I was doing. "How are you feeling, Mary Ellen?" was what I was expecting to hear. "We were concerned about you when you left work early," I thought they would say. But instead I felt like I would be held responsible for the next person making a quick retreat to the bathroom to do what I had done in the stall closest to the window the day before. If there was a sudden outbreak of sickness, it would be all my fault. Me--the instigator of disease, the culprit of a flu epidemic.
So in an effort to maintain order and not condone my lawless attitude, I was sent home to "rest." All peace would then be restored until the children would show up with their runny noses, persistent coughs and pale faces that indicate less than the picture of health as their parents hurriedly drop them off insisting that they are fine. A few parents over the years who have trusted me enough to be their confidant have admitted to me that their little darling actually threw up in the car on the way to school but were feeling so much better now that . . . well, the 24-hour rule just didn't have to apply to them, did it?
I hope you know that I was genuinely concerned for you when I asked you how you were in the kitchen. I totally trust your judgement on being back at work. I am glad you are well!
ReplyDeleteJust when I thought no one was reading my blog! Thank you Emily--for your concern, for trusting me and for reading my ramblings.
ReplyDeleteha! Your title intrigued me! I can be a rule breaker too. Enjoyed your writing.
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