MASH Up

Way back in my first few years of teaching, my friend and colleague from down the hall went with me to classes after the school day was over to earn our clear credentials. On those evening rides, we used to chat about our days, recounting some of the unexpected moments and revelations we had dealing with the children of Oakland. We mused, at the time, about writing a sit-com which would be similar in tone to "MASH," with plenty of laughs, but always with that green fatigue undertone. We found ourselves wondering, after a few hours of combined reading and classroom management training, if anyone would believe it if we did actually sit down and write it.
Years passed. That good friend, like so many others, has moved on. He retired. Others just left. It's hard job, and even though sometimes I count myself lucky since I am not digging ditches or mucking out stalls, but teaching continues to amaze me. I know it consists, primarily, of standing around and talking, both skills at which I excel. Still, I come home most days exhausted. Maybe it has something to do with how close I am standing to the cracks in the firmament, and the holes in the safety net.
Like the other morning when I was standing next to the play structure watching kids swarm about, a woman approached.
"Excuse me," she entreated, "Could you watch my son?"
I looked down at the young man she offered up at the end of her arm. I recognized Eric from the first week of school during which I had become acquainted with him and his periodic tendency to bite and hit other children whom I had been assigned to watch. "I'll be happy to keep an eye on Eric," I assured her. This was, aside from standing around and talking, part of my job. That's when this mother stepped across the over-share line.
"I just got out of jail, and I have to get downtown to court," she let me know in a way that sounded a lot like a reminder for a haircut.
"Well, then," I assured her, "Don't be late."
Off she went. Eric looked up at me, dark circles under his eyes. There's probably not a lot of extra sleep in Eric's evenings. Eric's day had a bit of a dark circle under it as well. I just hoped that it wouldn't include any biting or hitting. Now that I think of it, I'm not sure this would make such great TV.