“Disobey.”

I learned very early in my childhood before I started school that acting bad or being bad brought about a spanking or a scolding at the least.
When I began school the report cards had a section labeled “disobeying,” and based on previous scoldings I knew never to have that box marked.
One of my friends did, and he received the standard neighborhood parental discipline, i.e., walking funny the day after report cards went home.

School for me was not always rainbows and good grades, but I never received a “disobeying” mark on my report card. But starting in elementary through high school I organized and participated in pranks to get laughs.

But, three months before graduating from high school, a joke, I organized with my friends, went wrong. As we laughed, I recognized the teacher was not laughing displaying an anger I had never seen before in anyone. I felt horrible, and I knew I was in trouble.

Since it was my first time getting caught disobeying, I took the fall for my cohorts and provided an in person deeply sorrowful apology. The apology was accepted. I was not expelled, or disciplined and I graduated on time.

Now, don’t you just love happy endings when someone is caught disobeying? 🙂

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