Energy Thief

My teaching job at the preschool is coming to a close and I couldn't be more pleased. Well, other than the nagging feeling that I have NO idea how I am going to pay the bills in 6 weeks time. But that is another topic...

I started to come out of my hole a bit this weekend. I spent three days at a gardening workshop and while it ended with me dead tired, I was also sunburnt and happy. I have no idea how to garden but somehow these days gave me inspiration! Anyway, this is how I spent Friday through Sunday. On Friday I finally received a check from some freelance work I had done several months ago. And on Saturday I found my beloved Ugg boots that had disappeared in February. I lifted up the full-size futon that acts as our dog bed to sweep (keep in mind this is a very large dog) and there they were, oddly lying beneath it! Now, I do this job several times a week. How they got there and why I'd never seen them there before is a total mystery! But, again, a story for another time...all I know is these things were like small reminders that the universe is rooting for me.

I returned to preschool today after three days of good "signs" from the universe--the check, the boots, the gardening. And, who do I meet within the first 20 minutes but my nemesis, the ENERGY THIEF! A parent of one of the students, she is one of the major reasons I abhor this job. Without her, the kids are adorable, the parents would be easier to contend with, the whole thing would be smooth. But, until today I never really realized exactly how our interactions drained me. We began this school year with the notion that this lax, parent-funded school program in the middle of nowhere could be transformed into a well-oiled, parent-run cooperative complete with parents doing all sorts of jobs like cleaning the classroom--stuff that has never actually happened but we like to believe in possibilities. :) Beginning from the start of the year this woman has driven me nutty. We spend hours in our monthly meetings talking about ridiculous, trivial aspects of school like they are the most important things in the world. The discussions go around in circles, around and around and around, mostly centered on certain changes she'd like to see happening, things like a weekly note home to communicate with the parents. And, of course, nobody contradicts or crosses her because she gets both offended and defensive and the 4 hour meeting becames like 6 hours. Normally stuff like a newsletter wouldn't be a big deal, I'd be happy to write it. But keep in mind that this is a community of 300 people, we have 11 kids in the school and the teachers and parents are all social friends. So, it's not like the parents have no idea what is going on with their children! And, if I were to write it, it would have to follow a specific format to meet this ONE parent's needs and I know she would ask for something bigger and better after that. Not to mention, I'd probably get five phone calls to "dialogue" something I wrote in the newsletter. Not worth the $16/hr and all the unpaid overtime I ALREADY contribute! Just an example...

Anyway, I knew this woman bothered me, INCREDIBLY. And, I know at this point we are not friends and never will be. But, I didn't realize until today how dangerous being around her is for me. She came in to drop off her child and began a discussion about how her son will not poop at school, along with some thoughts the other teacher and I might want to consider to get him to do so....even though we have no accidents with him and school is only 4 hours long and he successfully poops at home. The conversation took a dangerous turn as it always does, into an area of her feeling attacked and defensive and arguing about how much time the parents put into the class,. She told me she spends 3 hrs a week on preschool--which makes me wonder exactly HOW crazy she is because I have NO idea what she is doing with this time. The conversation continued for about 45 minutes, with the energy thief all the while begging off because she is busy, and then proceeding to not leave and follow that with more and more garbage spewing out of her mouth. Finally, 45 minutes or so later, it was over.

Of course, like clockwork the end of the day came and there she was, in my face again! This time she wanted to discuss how badly she felt about the first conversation and how it should not have occured during school because this is not the appropriate time. She looked me right in the eye and said, "I called you at 9 last night to talk about this, that would have been a better time." Yeah, sure. A better time for who?! I couldn't believe I was the one being chastised for her need to converse! About 30 minutes later we were finally finished, at least for now. And, as I locked the room and left school I felt as if all of my cells had been completely drained of energy. I came home, walked in the door and was greeted by an enthusiastic husband who wanted to share all of his wonderful insights and revelations from the day and I couldn't really respond. I took the dog to the beach for a walk and all I wanted to do was lie down in the sand and close my eyes. I am home now and all I want to do is curl up in a ball and cry. Why? I was tired but happy this morning. And now, tired and void of anything but this crazy sadness. For the first time in the history of our conversations, I truly had met this lady without anger or emotion. I was clear in my opinions and held my ground. I should have been proud of myself, elated. But I was left like a wilted, dying flower. The energy thief sucked me dry.

Ah-hah! I know you now, you crazy energy thief. I know you for what you are. I need to install a burglar alarm before school resumes on Wednesday so that this never, ever happens again. Perhaps if I continue being blunt and honest with her, without being angry, she will have to find another body to suck from!