Today is Picture Day at Telesis Preparatory Academy, the school I founded 33 years ago and started from scratch in 1991. Then the words Picture Day had special meaning and today brings back all kinds of memories. Like this one that follows.
It was Picture Day, and my kindergartners were so excited and came to school in their very best clothes. Yes, those were the days when moms, mostly stay-at-home moms, made extra effort to make sure their child was dressed impeccably wonderfully for such a special event as Picture Day! Little girls in fluffy full dresses with lacy anklets and pumps and little boys in tailored suits and yes, even ties. The photographer was preparing for each class to come into the library on time, lined up shortest to tallest as each teacher was instructed to do before bringing the class for their class shot and then they stood in line for their individual shots. Kindergarten was always first! This meant there was no time to waste to get them ready in time as soon as they got to school on that special day, Picture Day!
The line-up began. Everyone knew the shortest child in the class was tiny Freddie Chapman. Freddie was there in his perfectly pressed suit and a bright cobalt blue tie against a white starched shirt. His hair was perfectly combed by mom, and the part was straight as an arrow. He, of course, was to be first in my line of tiny tots to march into the library for Picture Day! I called Freddie’s name, and he came immediately to the front where soon he and I would proudly lead his classmates to the library.
After placing Freddie in the proper place as leader of the line of some 30+ kindergartners, I resumed sizing up the rest of the class for placement in the growing line from the shortest to the tallest like I did every year on Picture Day. As the line grew longer and the children got taller, I would spot check back and forth making a few changes along the way swapping one or two to eventually forming a perfect line of students shortest to tallest. At last, I came to the last student, the tallest student, to bring our line-up to completion.
Glancing at my watch, I realized it was almost time to walk to the library. We did not want to be late on Picture Day. This is when I noticed Freddie, the shortest and now the leader of the line, was missing! Oh, my gosh, where did Freddie go? Taking quick glances around the room looking for the little guy, this is when I heard the sound of running water! What’s that sound? In the back corner of my large and spacious classroom there was a child-size sink making handwashing possible for young children. But this time hands were not being washed; HAIR WAS! I said, “Freddie, what are you doing?” Tiny Freddie Chapman, the smallest child in my class dressed in his perfect pressed suit and cobalt blue tie, pulled his head out from under the running water and looked up at his teacher whose look on my face must have been of shock and horror, and said the one-liner I will never forget, “Mommy said we needed to wash my hair before Picture Day.” By this time, water was streaming down Freddie’s little face onto his perfectly pressed suit and that cobalt blue tie and starched white shirt. My first thought was a towel . . . where’s a towel? Like most good classrooms, my classroom was complete with no towels, but brown paper towels out of a hand cranked dispenser hanging low on the wall so kindergarten students could reach them. I immediately began cranking towel after towel after towel of paper towels from the dispenser to begin sopping up the dripping water that was now running down to Freddie’s little belt and onto his perfectly pressed trousers. Glancing at my watch, I saw that we were late and needed to get to the library NOW and Freddie was first! Turning back around, I saw that the shortest-to-tallest line I had worked so hard on while Freddie was washing his hair, was all in disarray. I quickly rearranged the students one time, then grabbed Freddie’s hand and led the class to the library. I was wearing a forced smile of anxiety.
As we walked hurriedly there, I thought of Freddie’s mother whom I knew would be disappointed, but how I would point out to her that Freddie followed her directions exactly when she exclaimed to him when getting him dressed that morning, “We need to wash your hair before Picture Day.” That is exactly what he did. He followed his Mommy’s directions to wash his hair before Picture Day and that is what he did.
Apologizing to the photographer, quickly explaining why their first class of their long day was late, I asked for a comb which all school photographers came with back in the day: a big box of plastic disposable black combs. Teachers would use those combs, one per student in need, for last-minute touch-ups and then throw them away. I did my best to rearrange Freddie’s hair trying for that perfectly straight part he came to school with, but alas, with still very wet hair it was nearly impossible.
Our class shot was the best it could be with Freddie sitting proudly in the front row. The individual shots were memorable, too. However, I will never forget the Picture Day that that left an indelible memory in my mind of Freddie and his effort to follow Mommy’s request of “We need to wash your hair before Picture Day!”
So, the next time you’re getting ready for Picture Day, remember: even the most well-intentioned plans can sometimes go awry. And sometimes, the most unexpected moments can create the most lasting memories.