This article is based on the story I read from Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teacher Tales authored by Jack Canfield, Mark Hansen, and Amy Newmark. It contains 101 inspirational stories from teachers as well as students who have shared their personal experiences or learned valuable lessons.
While taking a look at the content of the book, I immediately connected myself to one particular story that fell under the category called That Was Embarrassing. The story title is ‘Crayon Crisis’ shared by Diane M Miller. I felt connected with it because, in everyone’s childhood, they had experienced one incident that will remain a permanent mark on them.
It is about a girl who was misunderstood by her educator over a simple thing. One mistake can lead to chaos which most human beings tend to learn in a hard way. The writer began the story with a telephonic conversation that occurred between her and her sister. The author’s sister is the media specialist in an elementary school who tells the author’s story to her students visiting her library.
Beginning with the story which took place forty years ago when she was a student in first-grade class. Her nature was introverted she disliked being put under the spotlight. She did her best to blend in the background and go unnoticed by her teachers along with her peers. So, when she called the principal’s office, she was out of her wits. In her story, she refers to it as her “worst nightmare”. Being informed by the school secretary that her meeting with the principal was delayed, she did her best here too to be sunk into the soft leather of the sofa and prayed that the sofa's cushion could swallow her to avoid this meeting.
Once the principal was ready for her, another nightmare was sitting behind the door which was much worse than her previous one. It was her parents! The real reason for her to be called into the office was fully understood years later.
As soon as she entered, her father briskly walked to her without giving a chance for her to utter a single sound, her father asked bluntly “Why do you only use a black crayon when you draw?” and to which she gave a non-verbal shrug as a reply. This was understandable for being a child her thought process was in the developing stage and deciphering the emotions behind the words proved to be difficult. Hence shrug was the appropriate response.
Her father quickly asks her to show her desk like an obedient child she does what is asked of her. Exiting the principal's office everyone went to the classroom which happened to be empty. Lucky for the author it was recess time and all her classmates were out to have fun from the study break. As she points out a desk made out of wood, her father pulls out the crayon box to dump its entire contents except for one crayon that fell on his palm which is a black colored crayon.
Here the story takes a turn and what happens is proven to be epic. Like any human being, her father was perplexed and asked about the other colors that couldn’t be found. The author in a low voice explained about the missing crayons which happened to be given to her friends for their use. A wave of unspoken emotion took over her father who responded in a controlled manner “You were sharing.” Which she acknowledges with a simple nod and automatically her eyes fall over the faces of both her father and her principal who happens to be red in shade. Her principal dismisses her by hesitantly asking her to join the rest of her classmates. She waved goodbyes to her parents which was only returned by her mother because her father was busy shooting heated looks at her principal.
As I mentioned earlier, the turn was epic as she learned years later the real reason behind the red flush on both the adults. Anger was the reason for her father while her principal was flushing due to embarrassment. Her principal jumped to the conclusion of seeing her artwork which is drawn only in black crayon and assumed that she possesses a “dark and depressed nature”. He immediately notified her parents and called them in the office to discuss her non-existent problem. This didn’t stop there as he suggested that the author needs some kind of psychological counseling. It was a red flag to any parents and would reveal mixed emotional reactions to cope up with such depressing news.
It was not the author's fault. Being a child there are limits and the only reason she was scared to admit to using only one black color due to her lack of courage. She was afraid to ask them back. She didn’t stand up for herself and this caused others to jump to the worst conclusion about her nature.
As they say, all’s well that ends. Her father at that very night called her to make her understand the concept of “sharing and giving” and how different they are in reality. Due to her sweet gullible nature, her father presented her with a new box of crayons and carefully explained to her by saying “These crayons are for you and you alone. I don’t want you sharing or giving these crayons to anyone else, understand?”, the author agreed with her new set clutched in her hands.
It was a cautionary tale that people of all ages can learn valuable lessons and apply them in their day-to-day lives. The author says her sister recounts her story now and then by telling her students not to be afraid of asking a question. Mostly don’t shy away to speak up if anything is troubling them. Without clear communication and understanding people tend to draw up wrong conclusions and automatically jump on wrong assumptions.
This incident has happened to many of us. It has happened to me for sure and I too was mistaken by the wrong assumption of someone else. It is a known fact that we can’t read people’s minds for the telepathic power is just a myth or fictional at best. By speaking we can right many wrongs and this takes a lot of courage. It is the bravery that has been awarded since the time of kingship. One should learn from others' experiences and grow up by avoiding committing similar mistakes. No one wants to remember by mistaken identity.
Author
Mysteryhat4u
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