His name was Mr. Daumaurier. He was my junior high school English teacher who wore a jerry curl and a navy blue lab coat. He would use words like "malarkey" and "outlandish." The popular guys in school always made fun of him and most days he would humor back, but some days he would respond in complete and blatant anger. I wondered how he made his way to some small DOD junior high, teaching disrespectful 13 year olds. During passing times, he would stand at the top of the stairs and direct the traffic. I remember being directed, "to the right, to the right, girl, don't you know how to walk?" He would guide us all, confused preteens, meandering the stairs in chaos, "stay to the right!" It made sense once I got it. If everyone always stays to the right, then we can be going in opposite directions and pass without the awkward collision.
I think about it often. I think about it a lot here at work. Time after time, while escorting a probationer down the hallway there is complete chaos if they encounter someone else coming toward us in the hallway. They don't know what to do. It is such a long hallway and can be quite an obstacle course if I'm following someone who doesn't know they can just stay to the right and plow right through.
Perhaps Mr. Daumaurier taught me more than how to maneuver through a crowded stairwell, I think he taught me about social norms, expectations and order.
I think about it often. I think about it a lot here at work. Time after time, while escorting a probationer down the hallway there is complete chaos if they encounter someone else coming toward us in the hallway. They don't know what to do. It is such a long hallway and can be quite an obstacle course if I'm following someone who doesn't know they can just stay to the right and plow right through.
Perhaps Mr. Daumaurier taught me more than how to maneuver through a crowded stairwell, I think he taught me about social norms, expectations and order.
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