a Friday flashback

Friday is my favorite day of the week. I thought maybe on most every Friday, I would write a little Friday flashback.

I love to write down stories. Especially ones that I've lived through.

So, quite often on Fridays, you can expect a fun story from my childhood, a family vacation, a newlywed story, or maybe something that happened the day before.

To get the Friday fun started in the right way, I'll try my best to entertain you with one of my favorite childhood stories...though it was quite traumatic at the time...

Flashback to...1991

When I was 4, my parents sent dragged me to a half-day preschool a couple days a week. I cried every day that I had to go, making my mother feel terrible for "torturing" me so.

I have vague memories of preschool. Mainly of sitting with my teacher sucking my finger and being too shy to join in on much else. Pitiful, I know.

One preschool memory does stand out, and I remember it quite well to this day.

On a chilly New York Day in 1991 my little preschool class piled into a couple of the teachers cars to take a field trip. Yes, their cars. Oh how times have changed...

Anyway, I ended up in the front seat next to my teacher (again, how times have changed...I think 12 is now the legal age to ride up front?) since I didn't have any friends that I cared to sit with.

We headed off to the tiny airport nearby where we were going to get to go see a real working helicopter! Oh boy!

I was modestly excited about this.

When we arrived, the teacher got out to let the kids out of the back. I waited patiently in the passenger seat for her to come around and let me out. I wasn't crazy, you know? My mom would always come open my car door so it was safe to get out.

I waited. And I watched as they started to line the kids up. And I waited some more.

But, hold on a minute.

They started walking away.

I sat staring out the window, apparently too dumbfounded to knock or scream or open my own stupid door.

Well, I guess I wasn't going to see any helicopters that day.

I sat down and thought about the pickle I was in. No use in getting kidnapped today. I locked the car and sank down to the floor. I don't remember crying. And I don't remember how long they were all gone.

But eventually I heard the loud excited murmurings or four-year-olds that all got to see a helicopter and I sat up on the seat again.

I watched my teacher making sure all of the kids were following along. And then I watched her glance at her car where she saw my puzzled little face in the window.

And then she started running and looking quite upset.

I unlocked the door for her.

"Whitney! What happened? Were you here the whole time? I'm so sorry! Oh no! Are you ok?!"

I just nodded.

She felt terrible. The poor lady.

At that point I was ready to go home. My teacher was so shaken up that one of the other teachers asked me if I still wanted to go see the helicopter. I shrugged.

"Well, you can have my helicopter pin that everyone got."

Gee, thanks.

But I still have it.

There's my first Friday flashback! Don't worry, no one got sued. And I'm pretty sure that probably started all of the safety regulations that we have in preschools today. ;)