What Seems Is More Important Than What Is

Shortly before Diane gave away her sweater and brought Mommie’s wrath to her rear end, she had another coat incident.  Not so serious, not punished so harshly. But of much more import to Mommie.

For Mommie was ‘super’ concerned with her image.  That extended to us.  What people thought about us was as important as what we did. Maybe more.

And that is where the second coat affair comes in. Events happened thus.

The day was warm enough in the morning; we left for school with no coats. That turned out to be a mistake. Weather takes no account of one’s decision to wear or not to wear a coat. Weather does what weather wants to do. The early warmth turned rapidly into midday chill—a  harsh chill.

At recess time Diane’s compassionate teacher was concerned with the students who had no coats. She kept  inside those without coats and gently questioned them.

“Diane, do you have a coat?”

Diane answered honestly , “No Ma’am I don’t.”  She did not add that she had left it at home.

“Don’t you get cold?”

“Sometimes  I do”

Later that day the teacher came to my classroom.  “I need to ask you something. Does Diane have a coat?”

Surprised at the question I answered, “Yes, why?”

“I just wanted to make sure. Winter is upon us soon and I just wanted to make sure.”

When I told  Mommie, she erupted with anger. Diane paid dearly for giving the teacher the impression that we were too poor to afford a coat for her.