Click! Click! Click! Click! She walked down the hallway with steps that hit the floor as heavy as the clops of a clydesdales hooves. She walks hastily with a purpose. Her face as stolid as could be with a glare that strikes right through the hearts of the students. She has gained some weight with age and carries a body structure that is stalky and thick. Her face rarely carries a smile upon it and she was hardly ever amused by any jokes. Her face is round with the jowls of a pug. Her eyes a wood brown that added to her resting stolid glare, with bright platinum blonde hair. Some would jester about her with jokes that made her feel bitter.
Click! Click! Click! Click! She continues forward down the hallway toward her office. As she passes, those around her quiet until she has passes without acknowledging them, and then they would carry on. She reaches the door of her office, a beautiful classic style cherry wood door. She holds a sentiment for the finer things. She enters her office and shuts the door behind her. More often than not, no one is allowed in her office. She prefers to keep it as a personal sanctuary for herself to hide away in.
In her office she stands and takes a moment of silence upon entering. Little did anyone know how high her levels of anxiety rose the moment any socialization started. Like Tsunamis of panic that waved around in her head. The woman many found to be a stolid dictator was more of a soft woman trying to maintain respect in a position of leadership and management. To her it required a sense of fear in others to maintain authority over those that sought to rebel and agitate at the slightest sign of weakness.
Looking around her office she feels calmer in solitude. Her office is adorned like an audubon sanctuary with indoor plants strategically placed throughout the room. Some lucky bamboo, a money tree, some spider plants, and a ficus, that help her to feel at peace. She takes a deep breath. In, out. Her walls are an elegant shade of maroon with dark cherry wood wainscoting along the bottom, with an elegant old fashioned wooden desk with a small stack of books. On top of her desk is a mini globe with little spots she wished to travel marked on it with a golden dot from a metallic marker. She loves to travel and has a list of places she wants to see. It was part of what drove her into education. The long breaks allow plenty of time for visiting the beautiful places she adores so much.
She walks over to her desk and sits down looking out at her office. To this day she always takes a moment to ponder over how she could lead this private school with better care. How can she maintain the same respect with kindness? Anytime before in her experience the moment she was kind they walked on her. How do others do it? There has to be a way. She looks down at the book on the top of the stack. ‘ How to make friends and influence people’ by Dale Carnegie. She's been giving it a try, but it seems to still come with struggle. The teenage pranks were just so overwhelming and any kindness would be treated with disrespect and teenage rebellion. The teachers, she tried to make friends with them, but then they want favors, special treatment, or extra pay the moment she gets to build a relationship with them. It makes her feel used and like the friendship wasn’t genuine. Over time she has come to accept a more introverted social life when it comes to work. She still carries some friends outside of work, but it’s always nice to have a little support in a school filled with children that could easily conquer a full grown adult.
For now, she accepted the perception of her, one that she still remains bitter towards with these silly comparisons to a nazi, or a dictator. Nonetheless she hasn’t found a better way yet, so tolerance will have to do for now. As she thought to herself, “Maybe today I should try again. There has to be something I’ve been missing and practice always makes perfect. I’m always preaching it for cripes sake…….ahhhh I better give it another try.” She reaches to her left and picks up the Carnegie book on the top of the stack, and opens it up to the first lesson. The pages had listed across the top in bold letters, ‘If you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive’
She reads on reviewing the lesson, as it goes over different aspects of what the phrase is referring to, “Avoid criticizing and condemning others”, “ Show sincere appreciation”, “ Create positive and encouraging environment”, she begins to read certain parts out loud.
She sets the book down gently on the desk letting the pages fold the book closed as she begins to talk to herself. “I guess I’ve gotten a bit carried away, I should practice this one…. I can get up and go monitor a class for a moment and give compliments on the teacher's work l, and maybe help out in a classroom. The teacher would appreciate it and the students likely wouldn’t act up. They might pay more attention when I’m around...maybe that’s a little much...That would raise suspicion and come off weird to everyone, I’ll figure this out…Next opportunity that arises. The teacher might be weirded out if I just randomly start popping in. I’m gonna make some changes though. I don’t want to be the stolid principal anymore…”
She continues to sit in her chair at her wooden desk in thought. She enjoys the silence and the sound of the birds chirping from outside her cracked open window as she waits for the next class to begin.