Chaperone

Jazz hands

On Friday I took work off to help chaperone a field trip for some third graders. My friend is the teacher and they have a history of poor parent involvement so she asked me to help out and I thought--free trip to the aquarium.

I ended up having charge over three girls who were perhaps the most giggly and hyper active children I've met. Walking around with them made me appreciate the struggle my parents must have gone through to expose me to so many museums throughout my childhood. I tried to see as much as I could but if I started reading anything the girls would disappear into the crowd. I did see an octopus in a depressingly small tank though.

The best part, by far, was the continual reference to me as "Mister Otting," for I have wanted to be called that since childhood. Unfortunately I came to adulthood in a first-name-basis society so I'll have to become a teacher or something.