BAD DAY TURNED NOT SO BAD...AT THE EXPENSE OF A STUDENT

Wednesdays are always kind of bad. They are right in the middle of what is an awful work week. This last Wednesday was no exception to the rule. Right before my B3 class was about to start I wasn't in the most chipper mood and not very excited to stand in front of 38 kids and chit chat about western trails (and usually I am happy about this type of scenario). My mood quickly changed when one of my male students - in 7th grade - came up to me with a pained look on his face. While exerting himself to get the words out he says, "Uh, Miss Belnap. Um, a girl just hit me...in my...privates. I think I am going to throw up." Bursting at the seems I quickly tell him he can go to the office. As soon as he is out of hearing distance I burst out laughing. Best mood turn around ever. Thanks student, you made my Wednesday a not-so-crappy one.

TEACHER WOES

I think I spend too much time worrying, planning, grading, stressing, teaching, and thinking about school. Why do I think this? Let me tell you:

Today I was working and I felt my brain aching and falling asleep. Literally, I could feel it but I needed to get this grading done. I wanted to be home already but I was still at school, the last teacher there. I was stapling some packets together when after a few seconds I realized I was in pain. Then it took me even longer to realize where the throbbing was coming from. Then even longer to see blood. Then EVEN LONGER to mentally understand that I had just stapled my finger to some papers. Awesome.

This is something that somebody should be able to figure out the second it happened. Or they shouldn't be so brain dead and could prevent an incident like this. All in all, I am finally home with my bandaged up finger and I am very brain dead. I am watching "Friends" right now to try and give my brain a break from having to do anything.

HERE WE GO AGAIN

Cures, love, donation, support, and awareness are back in swing in this year's breast cancer month. I feel like this year is going to be different. I don't know why, I just feel it in my bones that this October is going to special. Maybe its because I got to take grammie to one of her treatments recently so I feel even more connected to the disease.

Grandma is still sick. Her cancer is far worse than it was last year. I am not letting that discourage me because she isn't letting it discourage her. She is still fighting. She is still smiling. She is still here. I talked to her two days ago about her cancer marker. It was up about 200 points from the last test. I started to cry without letting her know I was getting emotional. She explained to me that when the doctors told her about the test results she didn't cry at all and she felt okay about how the appointment had gone. I had to (in the words of my father) cut the tears. Why can she be so brave and I cannot?

For the last two years I have put up statistics about breast cancer. I don't need to do that again. If you are not aware that it effects 1 in 7 women then get aware. Research. Learn. Support. But don't just support breast cancer. Yes, it is BC awareness month so take a little extra time to give a donation or purchase items with the pink ribbon on. But pick your passion. I gave a lesson to my 9th graders about having something in life that you support. Mine is breast cancer. It doesn't have to be every body's. They can borrow mine for now until they figure out what is important and personal to them if they want. I will fight for this disease everyday. I just ask that you at least stay aware of it this month. Wear a ribbon. Visit a hospital. Purchase some pink ribbon items. I still have a list on the right side of my blog of breast cancer websites so visit them. Do something and then go out there and pick your passion and support the crap out of it.