ONE VERY SAD GRADE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

ONE VERY SAD GRADE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Originally uploaded by roberthuffstutter

THIS IS A TRUE STORY BASED ON A TRUE EXPERIENCE

THE CASE OF THE MISSING NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE BY ROBERT L. HUFFSTUTTER

THIS MAGAZINE, THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, WAS LIKE FINDING GOLD WHENEVER I CAME ACROSS ONE. BACK IN THE 40S, WHEN I WAS IN GRADE SCHOOL'S EARLIEST GRADES, I RECALL TAKING ONE FROM A BUNDLE THAT WAS BOUND FOR A PAPER DRIVE AT OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I WAS THRILLED AS I VIEWED THE PHOTOS AND DID MY BEST TO PRONOUNCE ALL OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL WORDS. BEFORE THE DAY WAS OVER, I WAS CALLED TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE. WHILE SITTING OUTSIDE HIS OFFICE I WONDERED WHAT I HAD DONE WRONG. I FOUND OUT WHEN HE CALLED ME INTO HIS OFFICE AND CALLED ME A THIEF. "YOU TOOK SOMETHING THAT DID NOT BELONG TO YOU," HE STATED.

THAT HAPPENED IN 1949; I WAS IN THE SECOND GRADE. I WAS DEVESTATED. I WAS A THIEF. THE PRINCIPAL TAUGHT ME A LESSON. ACTUALLY, HE TAUGHT ME TWO LESSONS. I LEARNED A VERY VALUABLE LESSON ABOUT RULES AND REGULATIONS, AN IMPORTANT LESSON, BUT THE LESSON THAT HAS REMAINED WITH ME DURING THE LAST SIXTY YEARS IS THAT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO HAVE NO INTEREST IN EDUCATING THE YOUNGER GENERATION; THEIR INTEREST IS RECEIVING A BIG PAYCHECK AND WEILDING AS MUCH POWER AS POSSIBLE. PEOPLE LIKE THAT PRINCIPAL DID NOT GIVE ONE RAT'S ASS ABOUT A YOUNG STUDENT OR THE EDUCATION OF THAT STUDENT. THE PRINCIPAL WAS, BY HIS MANNER AND ACCUSATION, INTERESTED ONLY IN FEELING GOOD ABOUT THWARTING A THEFT THAT MIGHT HAVE CUT THE SALES OF THE PAPER DRIVE BY ONE TENTH OF A CENT. HE WAS PROUD THAT HE HAD PERFORMED A CIVIC DUTY AT THE EXPENSE OF THE CURIOSITY OF A YOUNG BOY JUST EAGER TO BEGIN LEARNING ABOUT THE WORLD AND ALL OF LIFE'S ACTIVITIES.

YES, HE SERVED A GREAT PURPOSE IN MY LIFE. HE REMINDS ME OF SO MANY PEOPLE I HAVE MET DURING MY LIFETIME, PEOPLE WHO COULD HAVE MADE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF MANY PEOPLE, OR A NATION, BUT INSTEAD CHOSE TO BOLSTER HIS OWN EGO AND IMPORTANCE BY HIGHLIGHTING MY LACK OF CHARACTER AND FLAWS. THESE PEOPLE, UNFORTUNATELY, HAVE MULTIPLIED GREATLY SINCE 1947.