Jr. High crushes

I remembered just a bit ago what it was that I was going to post last night but forgot. It is about Jr. High Crushes.

When I was in jr. high, I was dorky. I had glasses and was smart and shy and awkward and all that. And forget talking to anyone. Wasn't going to happen. Not when my face-nay my whole body- was going to turn red from the embarrassment of it. Especially if it was the boy I had a crush on, whos names I cannot even remember now if I strain my brain really hard. If any of them ever had a crush on me, I didn't know about it.

Well, there are a couple of boys at the jr. high that seem to have a crush on me. When I stand in the halls, there are always that group of boys that have to stand there acting as if they had authority as well. Then there are those couple that stand a bit in the personal space, making it personal, you know. I always take a step away, and find it all amusing. I have kids older than them (well and a couple their age as well) and a grandchild, for Pete's Sake!

Yesterday, however, it got kinda weird. I subbed in homeroom. When I got in there, the kids were kinda wild- well this class always is anyway just by nature of the combo of kids. There are only about 12 kids in the class. They had turned off Channel 1 and told me the t.v. was broken. I didn't believe it and went and turned the t.v. back on. The kids are all calling out variations of what they want me to believe the classroom rules are when one boy says, "Are you married?"

Now, kids have asked me this before along with "do you have kids", "what kind of car do you drive", "what did you eat for dinner" etc. But somehow this time it felt, I don't know, different. I had my back to the class and so I just answered yes and thought I would shrug off the feeling of weirdness. But it was not to be, because when I turned around the whole class is staring at this boy (whom I have never met before and when I took role, I do not even recognize his name so he must be a 7th grader). Then the class starts in with "don't you think she is a bit old for you?" or "You are way to young for her" and my favorite "dude, she is like 30!" (more like 44, but hey that would make me ancient in his eyes I guess so I'll take "like 30").

By lunch I had totally forgotten about this incident, until...
I am standing by the lunch room doors. The doors that the kids are not allowed to use at lunch time because our lunch room is under construction and even though this is a short cut, it messes up the line if they go through them. My job is to direct students ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE OTHER DOORS (their emphasis not mine, it is really not that far). There are only two classrooms down the hall to my left so most of the students are coming from the right. Now, you would think that after 2 weeks of this, they would get that they can't use these doors, but when you have that many jr. high students in one place, brain cells leak out and they can't "

So I am standing with my back to the hall with only two classrooms because most of those students have passed by me when I hear a quiet voice behind me say, "You're really pretty." I say, "Thanks" as I am turning around. Who do you think it should be? You are right, none other than our student of the "are you married" question.

I still have no better clue of how to deal with jr. high boys and crushes than I did 30 some odd years ago. The silly having to stand by me or the telling everyone I am like their sister or mom, or wanting me to put in a good word to the principal I can handle, but the quiet, I think I might have a chance crush? Hopefully he will move on soon. How bout it Lindsey, want a new crush?