moments of vindication: chapter four

When I was in third grade, Mrs. Powers was my favorite teacher EVER, making education collaborative and fun. One thing she would do was pick a student to read a story to the class every Friday, and I was asked the most out of anyone, reading from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (usual class pick.)

One day she sent me to the health office because I was squinting at the chalk board. I took the eye exam and was told with more than a degree of apathy that I was pretty damned nearsighted. When I came back to the classroom, Mrs. Powers stopped everything to ask me if I was going to have to wear sunglasses and a cane from now on, then proceeded to imitate being blind, making everyone laugh at my expense. Miserably, I told her I needed glasses. Her smile faded and everyone shut up.

Having glasses hasn't been all bad, however. An accessory in themselves, they've enabled me to appear as if I have my shit together even when I don't. What did 20/20 vision do for Mrs. Powers? Keep her on a low salary job in Bangor, Maine, that's what.