This week-end a simple High school alumni newsletter came out announcing a classmate had made the cover of a national renowned magazine. This began a bunch of back and forth chatters. When I finally chimed in, a classmate asks, "Are you the Bobbie that throw Fruit punch on me?" Now I may have, but for three days I am racking my brain to try and remember if I threw fruit punch on him. He was picked on a lot at school, and figured I just did what everyone else did to him. But I was usually sticking up for someone so it floored me to think I would have done such a thing. I am sure the kids standing around laughed.
He added more details to the account last night and at 3:30Am I remembered. At 3:30am I knew exactly what had happened. And Oh My Gosh! I did takes cuts in line and throw my punch on him when he complained about it.
You see, I had been told someone I loved dearly had died that morning and even though I was devastated, I still had to go to school. At School I could not face my "wood shop" classmates since Denise and I were the only girls in the class. So our kind compassionate and understanding counselor sent us off campus to Colleen's house to try and calm my heart. Colleen gave me a yellow and white butterfly yo-yo and taught me how to yo-yo that day. It gave me something to concentrate on as I went from class to class that day. Yo-yos are great presets when words don't work.When we returned from our trip to Colleen's it was our nutrition break and we were running late. To bring me to a back to normal state, they cut in line (like line backers protecting the quarterback) and I bought my fruit punch from the vending machine. The boy was angry that I had cut in front of him and my response was to pour my soda on him. For over 30 years now, he thought it was just another pick on him action. He thought it was about him, and it was all about me. I have apologized, but how do you make p for a lifetime of "Bobbie hit me with Fruit punch". In this day and age, it could have been enough to create a Columbine effect! But then, it just remained a hurt in a young boy’s heart on one of the most tragic days of my life. Add into the fact that the person I was broken hearted over never actually did die and it was all a lie, and you have a story no one would believe! It is strange but true.... We just never know what is going on in the heart of another person. Perhaps this is why I love Francine River's book Leota's Garden. No matter how much of the truth you think you have, you never possess all of it. And you may never know why someone dumped their punch on your head, until you ask! I am so glad he asked!

Later someone else made a remake about all the socialization Homeschooled kids miss out on. It is what every educator reverts to when they have no facts to base their predjudices on. I could not help but think of this young boy. Heaven forbid you should miss out on being humiliated by a girl throwing fruit punch on you.