Just this once...

Looking back on it now...it just wasn't one of the smartest things I've ever done.

Oh...it wasn't an awful thing, I guess...but would I do it again?

The jury's still out on that one. I just don't know.

6th grade year.

Like a lot of folks new to jr. high, I experienced several 'firsts' that year. New school. New braces on my teeth. New class schedule of moving from room to room. I had just been put into a 'high' math class, ...which meant I was just smarter than the 'average' student...and I had my first real 'punishment' at school.

BUT it wasn't my fault!

Seriously!

I was just trying to help her out, that's all!

At PJHS, there was a punishment known as "The Curb", and certain bad behaviors warranted time spent on "The Curb".

The Curb was just the section of sidewalk across the street from the 'playground' area of the jr. high. The sidewalk there was separated into these big squares, and those students who misbehaved were just sent to "The Curb" and got the honor of just sitting in one of those squares for all of lunchtime recess...no big deal. Except that just all of your classmates could see you and know that you screwed up.

Whoever thought it up was just a genius. There is nothing more effective a punishment (for some of us anyways!) than to be seen by your peers 'doing time'...and there is no better time to embarrass kids in front of their peers than jr. high.

I ended up on The Curb. And I've never forgotten it...

Let me say that, again, my intentions were good! I was not a bad kid. I did not misbehave in school. In fact, I would say that I went the other way...and was the 'teacher's pet' most of the time.

I just made a mistake, that's all.

One fateful day...in a moment of weakness...I found myself having to justify my actions in front of Mr. Geerken....or Mr. G., as I like to call him.

He was not a pushover. He did not 'kid around' much with the students. In fact, in the 6th grade, I'd say he was the 'toughest' teacher we had. Mr. Jones was very kind...Mr. Lee was really funny...and Mr. G. was...not those things.

He was just Mr. G.

And he was a very good teacher. And, like most good teachers, he taught me WAY more than just math and science.

As I said, I was in the high math class. If you asked me why I was in high math I would tell you that I had no clue! I was just a good student...who did homework as requested...and didn't cause trouble.

And yet...I still made it to The Curb.

That fateful day I was approached by a gal named Gina. I wasn't really great friends with Gina, but she had come to my slumber party when I turned 12...so she was okay.

Gina just had one small problem. She hadn't done her homework. For her math class. For our math class.

She was worried. She was scared. It was Mr. G's class, after all...and you knew that he wouldn't be kind...wouldn't be funny...wouldn't understand.

She had a problem. And she came to me, just asking for my help.

She wanted to copy my homework. It was one page of math...what would it hurt? This one time...just this once...could she copy my work?

I saw the pain in her face...the fear in her eyes. I took pity on her. And began to justify my actions right then. It was a good thing to do...to help out a friend...in a time of need. I couldn't see the harm of letting her copy one sheet of math...one time.

Could you? I mean, c'mon...no big deal...

However, for me, later that same day...it became a very.big.deal.

I can still see the sunshine coming through the windows of Mr. Lee's room where I had social studies...while Gina had science. In Mr. G's room.

Where she was furiously copying my homework.

Near the end of my class, there was a knock on Mr. Lee's door. And he answered it. And there was Mr. G...wanting to talk to me.

Just ME!

The whole class looked at me in shock! In disbelief! What had I done wrong? I, who never did anything wrong at school...had to speak with Mr. G...and he...

he did not look happy.

Oh, he never really looked happy. But he looked even less happy on this particular day.

The day the sunshine left the room in a hurry.

The day that I...I...would be sentenced to just sit on The Curb.

I shakily got up out of my desk...and the next few moments were a blur. I remember going into Mr. G's room...and sitting down. It was just us. Just the two of us.

He showed me a paper. It was my math homework. He had caught Gina copying it in science class. She was getting a zero for her homework for that day.

I was getting...The Curb.

BUT I HADN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG!

I cried. Gina didn't have to sit on The Curb! Gina didn't have to be humiliated in front of her peers! Stupid Gina...who didn't even have enough sense to do her own stupid homework! She wasn't in trouble!

IT WASN'T FAIR!

I was being sentenced to the curb for Gina's mistake. If she hadn't copied my homework in science class...if she had been smart and done it in Mr. Jones' reading class...she NEVER would have gotten caught...and I wouldn't be sentenced to The Curb!

Mr. G. quietly explained to me why Gina wasn't going to The Curb...but I was. I wasn't helping her by letting her copy my paper. She wasn't learning anything from that. You see, he said, you're smarter than she is...you need to understand that letting someone cheat off of your homework is not a good idea. Letting her off the hook of doing her homework doesn't teach her math...so you're going to The Curb. That will help her more than letting her cheat.

"How does my being punished teach her anything?" I wondered. Mr. G. explained that he had told Gina what my punishment was...and that if she did it again, she'd be the one on The Curb.

So...that was it. My punishment for being helpful. Gina screwed up...but I just took her place. On The Curb.

The next day, I sat there...in my square, in the sunshine...and morosely glared at the students on the other side of the road...who were enjoying their recess time...and I was teased by some of them, "Hey, Carrie! You must've done something pretty stupid to end up on The Curb! Something REALLY BAD!"

I turned my head away to ignore them. I put my chin in my hands, my elbows on my knees...and sat there for 38 minutes. 38 of the longest minutes of my life. Taking a punishment that I felt I did not deserve. Because I had only wanted to help. To just help someone. And this was Mr. G's answer. His idea of help. And did Gina really understand? Did Gina realize the sacrifice I was making for her?

It did not make sense. But I was a good student. I obeyed my teacher. I quietly took my punishment of The Curb.

And life went on...

My Friends...there is Someone who has taken your place on The Curb. Someone who has sat with Mr. G...and been found guilty for your wrongdoing. And no matter how much one reasons that He didn't do anything to deserve it...He still obeys. He takes your punishment.

Think about that today. Just this once...