Mnemosyne, Muse of Memory

100 days before graduation the senior dinner is held in Hawthorne at Macaluso's. It is a nice place. They have a DJ, a hypnotist and wonderful food. The Vice Principal, Nurse, Police Laison Officer, a teacher, two guidance counselors, and the junior class advisor joined me at the faculty table. The kids were well dressed. They could not take a date and had to all come on a school bus but they made the most of it and had a good time. I danced a little while and the kids liked that. We had diet coke with the Italian antipasto and main dish foods. We talked and got up a lot to check on the kids. The hypnotist was the highlight of the evening making kids do all kinds of things. One buxom girl came out and performed like Brittany Spears and rubbed her hands over her body. The audience went wild. Mallory was the star of the show.

Later, I talked to Ron the Police Officer. He knew the score; I had been let go and was looking for a job in western NJ. He kiked me and wanted to share emails to keep in touch. I agreed. He told me that he went to a Babtist college and we shared mutual experiences in college. I believe that retaining a job dependa on your relationship with your boss. Whenever I was let go, I didn't have a good relationship with my boss, so I think it is true.

How profetical was my last entry on Feb. 29th. I was called into the superintendent's office on the first Wednesday of March and told that I was not going to have my contract renewed. Wow! What a shock! He said he would accept a letter of resignation before it got ugly, so I said I would do that. My heart had a dagger through it, but I kept a good poker face. I said we had things to go over for the school. This was easy to do because it was not the first time my boss let me go. It happenned in Flemington, Manville, and now here. Why?

Well, to begin, I never felt comfortable with DR. GROVEMAN. He was a short, Jewish man that never allowed me to call him by his first name. This was not a good sign. I think he knew that I was a Christian and he resented me. He was full of status; had to show the fancy schools his kids were going to and all.

I am the lucky one. I don't have to commute so far, I don't have to deal with petulant teachers and paranoid parents. I don't have to deal with power thirsty BOE members, at least in this district. They are everywhere.

Am I sad? No, except for the kids and the Christian teachers. They came to my office to wish me well one by one. I love the kids; even the ones that get in trouble. I will miss them. The troubled kids appeal to me more because they are so needy. One teacher said I should be principal of an Alternative School. That is a stretch, but maybe they are not far off. I empathize with them.