Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Under the Mistletoe

Someone taped a sprig of mistletoe over the doorway to our 8th grade classroom before Thanksgiving break. It probably wasn't even mistletoe, but a small piece of a local weed. However, everyone knew what it symbolized.

Back in the 70's, the thought of a boy kissing a girl under the mistletoe in class wasn't politically incorrect. It hadn't actually been carried out yet in our school, but the secret danger and thrill of that possibility made for exciting dashes into and out of the room.

Our teacher, Miss Gidden, was built like an offensive lineman. Her neck seemed to have disappeared somewhere along the way and her small head sat atop an over sized body. Her thin hair radiated the luminous glow of her scalp when she stood under the light. Her belly protruded far enough that it could have housed a full term pregnancy, but Miss Gidden was already in her sixties and had never been married, nay, had never even had a boyfriend, according to something she let slip once. After we read a sad story about a husband who died, she proudly declared, "Men- don't need them! I've done fine my whole life without one- never even had a boyfriend!"

These features, along with the perpetual frown and accompanying lines etched into her face could have gone unnoticed by our class, but her meanness and gruff manner exacerbated her physical traits into frequent playground fodder.

"Hey- didja hear they found that first grader that went missing last week?", one of the boys would whisper.

Another would answer, "Where was he?"

The first boy would shoot back, "Under the folds of old lady Gidden's belly rolls!"

It continued in that vein. I'm sure she must have heard some of it, which couldn't have helped her moods any.

This was back in the days when paddling was used frequently in the classrooms, and her paddle swung high and wide on the guilty and innocent alike. Most students hesitated to breathe too loudly in her presence for fear of invoking her wrath. Most, but that didn't include Lenny. He came to our rural school from exotic New York, a place we'd heard existed but thought perhaps was mythical, like Atlantis. He was born to challenge authority and won the respect of the boys with his bravado in baiting Miss Gidden and the casualness with which he accepted his punishments. His dark eyes, worn Levis, and coolly wrinkled t-shirts won the attention of the girls.  He showed no fear, ever.

One morning, when we spilled out of the bus at school, we heard someone calling out from a distance. The voice laughed as we searched for the source. Finally we looked up, and there was Lenny, perched at the highest peak of the school roof, waving.

Another time, he led an after school raid on the cafeteria kitchen and like Robin Hood in steel toed boots, passed out ice cream cups from the freezer that had been reserved for teachers.

The morning of  the last day  of school before Christmas break we waited in the classroom for the first bell to ring. A slight boy with buck teeth approached Lenny. "I dare you, " he intoned with the gravity of Caesar, "in front of everyone, to kiss the first person who walks under the mistletoe through that door, whether it's a girl or boy!"

Everyone in our small group drew a breath and looked at Lenny. He was motionless for a moment, then said, "You got it."

The bell rang. We quickly made our way to our seats. Only a few stragglers weren't already in the class and Miss Gidden usually made her appearance a few minutes late, owing it to finishing up her coffee in the teachers' lounge.

We heard voices down the hall. Would it be Francie, who was cute and shy? Would it be Sandra, who would  probably sock Lenny in the nose if he kissed her? Or worse, would it be Kenny, a boy with obnoxiously bad breath?

Lenny waited by the door. Steps neared and we all sat straight, straining to see who it would be. A form stepped into the doorway. Lenny jumped into place in front of the form, and moving at a speed so fast he couldn't be stopped, grabbed the person in his arms and planted a big one, smack on the lips.

He pulled away, and the shock registered on his face as he saw the recipient of his smooch. The light gleamed off  her scalp as she jerked her head back.

'Wha, wha, whatttttt?" Miss Gidden stammered.

Lenny's face turned ashen. He swayed.

Marie, a simple girl with a wide grin, yelled out, "You were under the mistletoe!"

The rest of the class remained hushed. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the wrath of the paddle I knew would be next for Lenny.

I heard nothing, so I opened them again.

Instead of storming to the desk for her paddle, Miss Gidden stood with her hand to her mouth and a pink color flooding her cheeks. "Well, I never, uh, my goodness...," she fumbled for words. Her hand left her mouth and primped her hair. The other hand went to her hip and she stammered more.

"Well, well, now boys and girls." She looked at all of us, then at Lenny, and giggled. Giggled. This woman who wielded a paddle like a lumberjack wielded an axe was giggling like she was 13 again.

I don't remember all the particulars of the rest of that day, but I do know that Miss Gidden changed after that kiss. She was a little softer, a little lighter in her manner with us. And Lenny, the challenger of all authority, was the teacher's pet, a position he didn't want, but accepted as perhaps his punishment.

A little mistletoe can go a long way.

38 comments:

  1. Oh Shelly, I LOVE that story. Isn't it wonderful how a kind human touch can change people!?! I have a feeling everyone was changed in some way after witnessing Miss Gidden's reaction. Lovely holiday story.
    Hugs~

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  2. Hi Shelly. Loved the story today. I think we all knew teachers like that when we were children. But I so agree with Shelly, it's a miracle how human touch can change someone. Perhaps that was the first time she had ever been kissed. Love it that Lenny was the teacher's pet from that time on. Hee Hee!

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  3. That's an interesting twist, Shelly. There are many people who get so used to feeling less attractive than others that they give up and don't even try to compete. They rationalize by claiming that they don't want what they think they can't have. They get used to the idea that they are inferior and eventually that low self esteem breeds bitterness, causing them to act out against others.

    Closely related is the all suffering, all sacrificing woman who won't allow people to give back a little something to her. My mother and my mother-in-law were both the kind of women who announced every year at this time that they absolutely did not want anybody to buy them anything for Christmas; yet they were obviously hurt if and when they didn't get something from every family member.

    The surprise kiss that teacher received was a pattern interrupt. It jarred her awake to the possibility that she was likable and even lovable. She responded favorably. Everybody needs love. Everybody needs hugs and kisses. As Rick Springfield sang, "We all need the human touch."

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  4. Sush: Sometimes that is all it takes to crack a tough shell. It was a great lesson to learn!

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  5. Thisisme: Lenny absolutely did not like that positive attention, and I've lost track of him in the intervening years, but I hope it did him some good, too. We all need love in our lives!

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  6. Shady: She had definitely fallen into that rut, and that probably fed her unpleasantness. I hadn't thought about that being a pattern interrupt, but you are so right. No telling how many years she had been in that holding pattern. Rick Springfield sang very true words! I hope your family and guests all make it safe and sound to your house!

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  7. That is an amazing story, Shelly. I did have a teacher like that in first grade. I think she did need a kiss! This just goes to show what a hug and kiss can mean to a person. Love and appreciation can melt a hard heart. I feel so moved by this story.

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  8. Everyone wants to be wanted, to be seen as desireable. :-) Good ol' Miz Gidden. I had someone like her as a teacher, too...

    Pearl

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  9. Belle: All that scar tissue around the heart can just melt away with love. I wish it could happen to more people.

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  10. Pearl: I've seen too many teachers who become mean because of how they've been treated. One person can certainly affect a lot of lives, either positively or negatively.

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  11. You know - it's absolutely true. Teachers are real people with real feelings and I've seen many an ornery one tamed with a little kindness from a student and/or parent. It's a wonderful thing to see.

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  12. Karen: Yes- and it especially seems to work well on those who deserve it the least. Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down...

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  13. That was such a sweet story and had a great ending. So glad she had that experience but wish it could have come years before for her sake.

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  14. What a cute story, Shelly. You told it so good; I was rooting for Lenny as he was passing out ice cream cups! I'm sure that was enjoyed by all recipients!

    Funny how he never thought about Ms. Gidden coming through the doors when he took that dare. Too bad you did lose track of him, makes you wonder where he is at and how his life turned out.

    Thanks for sharing this, enjoyed the laugh!

    betty

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  15. Oh, Dearest Shelly.
    Under the Mistletoe☆☆☆
    Thank you VERY much for sharing this story!
    I know vaguely about this, but first to read from real story.
    Wow, lovely story of how we need to be loved♬♬♬
    And I really respect your words in reply for Belle, "All that scar tissue around the heart can just melt away with love"
    Blessing to you, xoxo Orchid*

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  16. Odie: I, too, wish she had had that softening of the heart much earlier on, for her sake.

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  17. Betty: It never felt naughty when he was doing those things, but I never could have done it. I do often wonder if he continued to be a rebel, or if he became a big success in business with his risk taking.

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  18. Orchid: Kissing under the mistletoe is a tradition I don't hear much about anymore, but I do think it's still thought of in some places. Thank you so much for dropping by, dear friend!

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  19. Oh, what a beautiful story.

    It is a reminder that we all need to be, and more importantly, FEEL loved. She probably didn't feel anyone could love her...til that kiss. (not that he loved her, but that she was not so unlovable that she couldn't be kissed)

    It's a reminder for all of us to let people know we care or to give them that compliment you are thinking in your head. Even to strangers.

    Thanks for the reminder.

    My kids want a misletoe, but I haven't seen any this year...maybe we'll find a weed outside and pretend! (the girls like to trick Nicholas into going under it---he runs away and does NOT want to be kissed--poor kid) hee hee!!!

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  20. Jamie: Thinking about this teacher again ahs also made me think about how very many people are walking around in this world feeling the same way she did and reacting to things as badly as she used to. Kindness and love never go to waste, do they?

    I had to laugh about poor Nicholas- hopefully he can run very fast since he is outnumbered!

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  21. Shelly, you tell the best stories! Along my path of dreaming of one day being a teacher, some of my favorite books are written by teachers. I love school stories in general. Once I read Frank McCourt's three memoirs, Angela's Ashes, 'Tis, and Teacher Man in the space of a week. But your stories of school are better. They're full of love. FULL of love, and how it transforms people.

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  22. Another one of your wonderful stories, Shelly! Just the other evening we were here discussing mistletoe. I can remember my relatives shooting down the mistletoe from the trees. By the way, I need to buy some if I knew where to buy it! ♥

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  23. kneesandpaws: Thank you for your kind words! I, too, read all of Frank McCourt's memoirs- they were tough to read in some places. You are going to be such a fabulous teacher to many kids some day. They will be blessed to have you.

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  24. Cindy: You are so sweet! I haven't seen any mistletoe growing around here lately. I don't know if it's because of the drought, but it used to be all over the place. Maybe we'll just have to draw a picture of it and tape that up!

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  25. Great yarn, Shelly! And now I see in the comment section that my wife is lookin' to obtain some mistletoe......wonder if it is me she has in mind? Hmmmmmm.........

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  26. Clint: You'd better be finding you some mistletoe!

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  27. What a wonderful story teller you are. I hope you write a book on all your adventures one day. You know, I think your Miss Gidden may have suffered from Hypothyroidism... some of the symptoms are: Over weight, thinning shiny scalp, irritability and anxiousness. re the paddle. I felt really pleased for her in the end.

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  28. Crystal Mary: You know, I never thought about her traits having a physical cause, but that could very well be. Goodness, I hope she found some help for it. It's a pity that some things that could so easily be treated go undiagnosed.

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  29. Shelly, Thank you so much for saying those nice things. I'm stopping by again to share my email with you, in case you are able to visit us in NC for hang gliding, and also because I think we have a lot in common...from Paris to literature choices. Have a great night:) kneesandpaws@yahoo.com

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  30. Jenny: Thank you!!! I will be sending you an email- I don't think Paris has even been the same since I was there...

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  31. What a wonderful story, Shelly! I'm so glad that Miss Gidden was so affected by her accidental kiss!

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  32. Dr. Kathy: I only wish she'd had it years earlier-

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  33. That is a greet story, but my stomach is a little queasy. Ha! The age difference. *gasp*

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  34. Kelley: I'm sure Lenny had no thoughts of that!

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  35. What a charming Christmas story...I just loved the twist at the end... poor Lenny, doomed by a kiss. :D

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  36. cath: That he was- and I don't think anyone ever let him forget it! Thank you for stopping by!

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  37. Awesome story .Love is love ,actually .life is nothing without it.Loved reading it .

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  38. izdiher: You're right- love is everything in this life!

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