Stand

Two more minutes left until the kids had to go to aftercare if no one picked them up.  "Well Frank," I said to the first grader sitting on the floor with me, "looks like you're sleeping in the library tonight.  You could probably hunt around in Ms. Henry's stuff for snacks if you get hungry.  I guess you'll have to take a sink bath before school starts tomorrow morning".  Alice started giggling.  "We are too big for the sink!  Well....actually, I get up in my sink sometimes.  When my mom isn't looking...".  "So do I," Frank added, "and I pee in it".

That stopped the conversation.

"Can I go to the bathroom?" Alex asked.  I gave him my stock answer:  "Can you wait until the end of class?".  Ninety-five percent of kids can and usually don't really have to go to the bathroom anyway.  He looked me square in the eye.  "I have to poo...",

"Go" I said, without letting him finish the word. 

One minute until aftercare.  Alice's number came up.  "That's you!" I said as she sprang up, catching her foot in her dress and falling hard on her face.  She screamed.  Blood sprayed out of her nose.  She ran and fell in my lap, clutching her face.  Blood came out from between her fingers and dotted her dress.  It was picture day.  A large drop landed on my pants, bright red and suspiciously close to my crotch.  She was scared.  I was kind of scared too.

Sometimes, in moments of adversity, I imagine myself singing in fancy outfit in front of a funk band.  Other times, I do a ballerina dance where no one can see me.  Lately, I haven't really been doing anything.  I just white knuckle it out. 

I held on to her until it stopped bleeding.  Then,  I stood, pulled my shirt down as far as it would go, and headed to the Diversity Team meeting that I was late for.

Diversity is walking around with blood on the front of your pants, and not for the reason that everyone thinks it's there.