How much do you overlook?

C.'s husband asked me the other day if I thought the prince was just trying to get rid of me. I sort of laughed and said "that's the ironic part." He has never wanted "rid" of me--he knew that he should be thanking his lucky stars that I was on staff. There was no one to take on any of the technology issues or to spark creative ideas or bring the staff together. He was smart enough to recognize my worth, but too stupid to let me run with it. His form of leadership is maintaining a strangle hold and micro-managing every piece of minutia that sifts past.

Of course, he fits in very well in the district, since blatant incompetence coupled with talented butt kissing is the key to success.

Making it worse is the knowledge in my heart that he IS a decent man, that he DOES care about the kids and about us. And yet.... he just can't help being a complete ass.

There was the time a parent was attacking me for her daughter's bad attitude....why, they couldn't even get her to do her chores around the house any more, since she'd been in my class (this is the sort of mental process that makes me often proclaim "my god, people are idiots!" ). At one point in that meeting she threw one of her daughter's exercise books at me. I knew right then that the right thing to do was to get up and walk out. What stopped me was knowing that I could not trust the prince to not say something damaging to me or in some way sell me out in my absence. I realized with clarity in that moment that I was completely alone....I work with 30 kids and a dozen adults everyday, and I am completely alone.

This dangerous solitude would be responsible for a horrific decision I had to make just a few months later...