Dancing Bear Teaching Lodge

A lady came to the office with an interesting story. The woman is a teacher in a new school, and she was new to teaching high school.

In the first week of school, during her last class of the day, the principal stood in the rear door of her classroom hanging onto the doorframe. As she glanced at him, judging from the expression on his face he appeared angry and upset and then he suddenly left.

After class she hustled down to the principal’s office, ready for a confrontation, as she hardly knew the guy and he did not know about her as a teacher, she being a recent hire.

When they were face to face, she asked him what was up with the angry, upset looks in the door of her last class. He appeared confused and asked what classroom she was in and when during the day. When she told him, he hesitated and then shared that he was having a really bad case of stomach cramps and some diarrhea and was praying to make it to the boy’s restroom before anything happened.

He apologized and reassured her it had nothing to do with her teaching,
his issue only.

She left satisfied and also wondering –
How often does she do this?

“This”- getting upset and taking Responsibility if someone else appears upset?
How often does she claim “it” as hers and not theirs?
Does she do this with men only?
Where did this come from and how old is this behavior?
From this “stalking of the self”, we began to explore her relationship with her family of origin, and men, leading to a great deal of Awareness for her.

At day’s end, I decided to use her as a “mirror” and “stalk myself”. I looked at my own past behavior and asked similar questions,
Do I do this with women?
Do I do this with everyone?
When did I begin, and how did this begin?
And how would my life be if I did not “take on” upset from others when they appeared upset.
For me this led to more Awareness and taking of Responsibility for my reactions and not other People’s reactions- a helpful exercise.

I consider this lady a gift of Spirit.
I am Grateful- Wopila (thank you) Creator.

– Hal Robinson