I piddled in kindergarten.
The day I wet my panties--and the resulting puddle under my little chair and the teacher's vocal disgust--was my first embarrassment in life. It stayed with me for the next 11 years.
Prior to my accident, the teacher lined up the class and walked us to the restrooms for our afternoon potty break. I didn't take advantage of the break. Later, the urge hit! As hard as I tried, I could not stop the spill out. I was a timid kid and would not raise my hand and let Mrs. Humphries know I needed to go back to the restroom.
Kindergarten was my first experience with the big world. I was an only child--and the only girl grandchild--and my parents and both sets of grandparents saw me as very special. On the rare occasions when my parents went someplace without me, I was with one or the other set of grandparents. I never had a babysitter (so I also missed all the havoc a kid can bring to a young babysitter!) and pre-schools had yet to be established. The first five years of my life were spent in a very small, comfortable and loving world. Mix up those ingredients and you have a recipe for a spoiled, shy, socially awkward kid.
Mrs. Humphries was my first encounter with an adult who was not a family member and who would be in charge of me for long periods during the day. I knew she was really a witch--and I was terrified of her. When the urge hit, I sat silent; fearful of wetting my pants, but even more fearful of dealing with Mrs. Humphries. Even today in my memory bank, my kindergarten teacher was straight out of The Wizard of Oz!
Terror turned to gushing water and soon became a lingering humiliation.
I went through many years in school always feeling I could very easily do something that would make me the class embarrassment. I did well in school, but I was anxious about being called on in class--forget about getting up in front of a class for an activity! I never tried to draw attention to myself. I remained shy and socially awkward.
It wasn't until my junior year in high school that I came out of my self-imposed cocoon and gained confidence in myself as a student and as a member of a social group larger than my family and few close friends.
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6 comments:
Okay...journalism students...who is going to nail me for not putting the kicker on this story?
Alright so your going to have to finish telling what made you finally wet your pants or if you rose your hand.
Mind if I do the kicker for you?
"I finally had a group of girlfriends to hang out with and had a social life away from home. Before I knew it, I was spending more time away from home with my friends than I was at home with those I started my life with.
I soon find myself chasing the young men in their social groups. We started smoking because they started smoking, we rode around in hot cars on Saturday nights because that's what they did. Before I knew it, I found myself on a date with the meaty-ist, hottest, hunk of them all at a restaurant.
I sure did feel nervous. And then I started feeling a little tingle... as if I had to tinkle. I was so nervous to excuse myself from the table with him, that I sat there, and my kindergarten memory was starting to come back to me in a big way.
As I started wetting my pants, and once again, the puddle started to form under my chair, he looked at me and told me he needed to leave, again with the same vocal disgust I had heard from Mrs. Humphries.
It was then that I started to go by Jean, rather than Billee... hoping to gawd nobody would recognize me."
Is that a good kicker Ms. Sherer?
That's a great kicker, Awesome! And somewhat true!
Is this really true?? I cannot imagine you ever being shy... :)
Yep...that's a true story!
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