random girl

I had my 3rd Illinois teacher licensure test on Saturday. I go into the huge gymnasium with about 1,000 people at tables. I find my number and sit down next to a girl who is sharing the table with me. Now I do have to explain a little something that I feel everytime I sit next to a complete stranger, anytime it is just me and another person, like in a bus seat or a plane ride or in an elevator or in a doctor's office. I sometimes have this weird feeling that I have to talk to strangers. Like it is a moment that if you don't talk to this person at that moment, you will never get another chance again. Somehow you might make their day just by striking a conversation. Maybe it is a light, funny conversation or you share some meaningful words. Shoot, they could even become a new, good friend or your next date. Either way, that stranger is there and then they are gone.

That was a huge sidetrack, but back to the girl I sat next to. I sat down, got out my book I was reading and just stared at my words because of course I had this need to strike up a conversation. So, I looked over and then noticed... She had her thumb on the table, practicing how she was going to roll her thumb to get the fingerprint. I watched her practiced and almost convinced myself that maybe I needed to practice rolling my thumb on the table. I decided not to say something and disturb her practice of the thumbprint roll. The woman came and we both did our thumbprinting just fine and made a solid mark on our answer sheet. Good thing she practiced and I thought about it. Then I thought again that maybe I should say something since we had 15 more minutes to sit there. Then she broke the silence and said, "Can you believe how big the thumbprint example is?! Whose thumb is that big?" Of all of the things for her to bring up, I can't believe she said that. So I replied, "That is a really big thumbprint." She seemed so strange that she probably could have used a nice conversation, but on this day I decided to just read my book and ignore the stranger.

oh, btw, the test was HARD. Every question, left me guessing for the answer and wondering why in the world this is important for a teacher to know.