When I was 10, I was in a school play. I don't remember its name, but I played a gullible, Southern girl, who sang, “I'm a gullible gal from way down south; what pops in my head pops out of my mouth.” Honestly, that is all I remember about the whole thing, though I can still sing the song, tune and all.
All these years later, I don't consider myself to be very gullible. I'm reasonably intelligent. I can distinguish fantasy from reality. I am well aware that when something seems too good to be true, it almost always is. I “get” life. I'm an adult.
But perhaps in some ways, I'm still that gullible gal from my school play in fifth grade.
Earlier today, Isaiah was due to land at the airport at 1:04. He travels all over the place for his job, and today he was coming on a direct flight from Paris after spending a week in Barcelona. I was still in class when he was scheduled to land, and Gerald was already headed to work, so I texted Isaiah and told him to wait at the airport, probably about an hour, until I was out of class and could come get him.
Soon after he landed, I received this text, “I found a ride home, so you don't need to come.”
“With a co-worker?” I asked.
“No, I just met a guy at the airport, and he offered to take me home in his van.”
What? My anxiety-filled mommy mind goes straight to murder. Yep, I'm thinking body parts piled up in that van, and my baby trapped inside, never to be seen again!
“No, Isaiah, noooo, do NOT get into that van!” I text (while I'm trying to teach college students the difference between ethos, pathos, and logos in rhetorical analysis).
No reply. Ugh. Later I text, “Are you still okay and ALIVE? Didn't I ever teach you not to get into cars with strangers?”
Finally, as I'm leaving my school, he writes back, “Man, you are so hard to joke around with because you're so gullible. Of course I didn't go with a stranger. A co-worked offered me a ride home.”
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Shulamith thinks the entire story is hilarious. Really? Well, I just hope one day her Swen pulls the same stunt, so she can see just how hilarious it is.
Your Gullible Gal was from "Peaceful Valley," wasn''t it? Summer theater program at Big Lynch directed by Ms McCoy and Mr Teadke. I remember the program and the name of the play and that you were in it but don't actually remember the song. Nancy Rae
ReplyDeleteYes, Nancy, I think that was the name of it. I can't believe you remember. The name of my character was Penelope Pennypacker, and as I said, I remember the song, but that's about all. Now I'll have to go look up that play.
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