All I ever really
wanted to be when I grew up was a mermaid. At one time, this did not seem like an unrealistic
aspiration. I frequently dreamt of
long flowing hair, a shiny green tail and flippers, and endless hours exploring
the magical depths of the ocean.
In an effort to prepare for my future occupation, I spent many
of my childhood summers practicing in the pool at my grandmother’s condo. I would force myself to swim the length
of the pool with my legs crossed at the ankles in an attempt to create my own
mermaid tail. This was a
particularly difficult task. In
the shallow end of the pool, my mermaid skills were, admittedly, impressive,
but as soon as I approached the deep end it all fell apart. Once there, my beautiful tail violently
split into two frantically flailing legs, and more often than not, my mermaid
attempt resulted in me pathetically dog-paddling back to the side of the pool,
gasping for air.
About the time I realized I could never actually be a mermaid, Walt Disney released the
most spectacular animated movie of all time – The Little Mermaid. My
plans changed. I decided I could
be the VOICE of the Little Mermaid.
Over and over and over again I would sing her song... “Ah ah ah! Ah ah aaaaaaaaaah!” I even memorized all of her lines – “I’ve
never seen a human this close before!”
And yet at some point, this dream died too. I finally had the realization that I could not be Ariel’s
voice; she already had one.
Devastating...
I suppose teaching is a bit like being a mermaid. Each day I sing, dance, and explore
unchartered waters, all while surrounded by an incredible variety of fascinating little
creatures. While it is not exactly
what I had in mind when I was young, it is pretty magical all the same.
And please, do not tell anyone. But sometimes, when I am in a pool or lake by myself, I
still swim with my ankles crossed and sing!
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This one should be easy today! Miss Collins, which of the following numbers has an 8 in the thousandths place?
A. 3,845.72
B. 18,900.095
C. 4.781
D. 927.6384
I love all of your slices. They're all so humorous and they are fun to read. I do find your whole "Little Mermaid" tale pretty awesome. I can't wait to read some of your other ones.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a mermaid as a teacher.
ReplyDeleteThat would be pretty awesome!
DeleteI love this story and I agree with Aili they are fun to read.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I always wanted to be a fairy when I was little, and to this day I cannot remember why. Weird childhood stuff right? And I agree with Daniel and Aili , I can't wait to read more.
ReplyDeleteBeing a fairy would be awesome too!
DeleteMe to Caden that would be soooo awsome she would be like math math math maaath
ReplyDeleteHaha! Yes, I love it!
DeleteYou know, I always wanted to be a fairy when I was little, and to this day I cannot remember why. Weird childhood stuff right? And I agree with Daniel and Aili , I can't wait to read more.
ReplyDeleteThe answer to your math question is d. I would also love to have a mermaid teacher. You will always be a mermaid through my eyes. Could I be a dolphin?
ReplyDeleteI wanted to be a prefessional singer when I was little. That dream has not died yet. I love The Little Mermaid. I sing all the songs with my cousins. They love it! Although they say I sound like Ariel
ReplyDeleteHa! Thanks for writing this slice, ever since I've been little I've always wanted to be an elf not like a Christmas elf, but like the ones you would find in Lord of the Rings. I have no idea why, I just like the of being eternally beautiful till I die...
ReplyDelete