By Crystal Byers via Brevity.
It was a day like any other school day—me, teaching the next generation, returning their graded memoirs, explaining the meaning of …
Then Fall, Mrs. Byers: Writing That “Single Moment”
Then Fall, Mrs. Byers: Writing That “Single Moment”
Published
Faith + Gratitude = Peace + Hope 
Such a captivating story. Although I am sorry that you feel, and I cringed along with you. It can be difficult to find a funny thing to say in those moments. I know it is for me. I never seem to have the right words when I am put on the spot. But you recovered well. And you are absolutely right, if we don’t laugh at ourselves, someone else will. This reminded me of a line in Pride and Prejudice. “For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?”
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Perfect quote from Pride and Prejudice! Thanks for reading and cringing with me! 😂
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And I got to laugh at myself with my typo! 😂
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I completely missed yours. But I did catch the random quotation mark in my piece (post publication). Darn.
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Ah well I missed it! So maybe most others did too! 😊
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Thank your for connecting with me. It’s an honor!
Please Byers! Don’t be offended
For my comments but you I enjoyed your words 💬 😁
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Thank you so much!
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Guess you sure had a productive day so far? I hope you are as well staying safe during this pandemic disease that has coursed a whole lot of damages among we the individual in one way or the other.
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Thank you, ECP. So far, so well. Hope you are, too.
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Hello Crystal
Today is a gift and blessing from God to your smile and enjoy it.
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A good story. I’m sorry you fell, but you got a good story out of it and a renewed understanding that you can never take yourself too seriously. Most other people don’t, so why should you?!!
Also, related, my senior high school English teacher staged herself falling off the stool she sat on when she taught. She did this to prove to us kids that even when something happens right in front of you, everyone who sees it happen will remember it differently. A powerful lesson I remember to this day.
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Oh, well, fall schmall. It was the first time in twenty years, and now you’ve given me a great comeback (pretending I staged the scene) if it ever happens again. Have a wonderful day, Ally!
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Good evening Crystal
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Eek! Congrats on this pub Crystal! It’s a challenge to write a (captivating) story with such parameters.
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Hello Dr. G. and thank you so much! These are the moments that make us feel like we can survive anything.
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That was such a sweet and funny story all at the same time! I’m sorry you fell, but I’m glad you were ok. And yes, I agree that we have to laugh at ourselves from time to time. If not, imagine what bitter souls we’d be!
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Thank you, Michelle! If I had been truly forever mortified, I would’ve never written this one down. Instead, I shared it with my students, and we all had another good laugh.
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I popped over and read your piece. It’s fabulous!
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Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
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Good evening Priscilla!
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Sorry, Crystal, I don’t get it. I assumed that was a “hook lead” to a story, and I was about to ask, “Where’s the rest of the story?”
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Well, I finally “got it” by clicking onto the blue link. What a delightful story illustrating how to handle an embarrassing moment with humor — a true slice-of-life moment.
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Hi Jo! Happy you got it and that you learned a new trick. Technology + embarrassing moments = 2 things that keep us on our toes (if we’re lucky). Thanks for reading!
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Enjoyed reading your essay, Crystal 🙂
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I appreciate you for reading and letting me know, Rosaliene!
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Good morning Rosaliene!
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You call yourself an emerging writer. I believe that you have emerged.
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Yeah, well, you know, sometimes we all need another blogger to come along and say it. Thank you, Neil!!
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Wow, Crystal. You made me think and laugh at the same time! “Et too, backpack.”😃
I like the thought you shared–not explicitly– I’m inferring here: we never ‘arrive’ as writers.” There will always be room for improvement (revisions), to a point. Something I blogged about a year ago doesn’t read quite the same way to me now; it’s probably the same for my audience. How do I get my point across powerfully to the greatest number of people? Answer: keep editing until you KNOW it’s the best writing you can do–for the moment. Blessings!
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Thank you, David. I wrote this one in 2018 and did some more revising before submitting to Brevity. I still caught a punctuation error after publication. Oh well, best I could do for the moment.
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Thank you for sharing a part of your world with your thoughts and words!!.. let your fingers do the walking and your heart do the talking…. you didn’t fall, you just changed the direction of the thought process of the students, “The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.” (Kahlil Gibran ) and you do it very well, both in the classroom and in your writings!!… 🙂
Until we meet again..
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life’s passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
(Irish Saying)
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Thank you, Dutch! I suppose I did lead them to the threshold of their minds that day, and their hearts spoke in turn. Hope you have a really good day.
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Quite an energetic story, Crystal, aquiver with potential. They – the action and your reaction – waited to take many trajectories, yet your recovery directed them to a warm, smiling purpose.
A valuable one, too, as it humanized you to the students, adding relatability to your example. This could’ve gone wrong in so many ways, yet you mixed up that lemonade right-quick, didn’t you?
It ended up being a great way as well to illustrate your lesson about revision. As though ripped from headlines. Or from lesson plans, at least. In writing, as in life in general, no effort is final, it’s just the latest of many improvements. We are an aspirational species, after all. That’s us, always striving.
Compliments, too, to the backpack, for playing its part to perfection.
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Suddenly I feel thirsty for a nice tall glass of lemonade. 🤍
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Crystal, your story takes me back to my time in the classroom. I helped high school students publish a newspaper, and writing with action verbs were always a point of emphasis. They also learned that the use of “get” wasn’t in Mr. Peterson’s vocabulary. At the moment, I seem to be stuck without an exit strategy. Hmm, there is always the story of the flying trash can.
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The Flying Trash Can. Sounds like a potential crime drama or murder mystery. You might need to write this one.
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