The Spanking

One kiddo is asleep, one kiddo is occupying himself with toys.  Mama has a huge cup-o-coffee and laundry is in the wash.  Time to whip out a blog story before tackling the rest of the day, right?  (I should always know better than to write a paragraph like this.  That was three days and approximately 478 diapers ago.  Now I am sitting down to finish this darn story.)

Someone yesterday mentioned they were hoping to qualify for an interview and hopefully be accepted to vet school.  It made me think back to my own experience, and the last time I ever got a spanking.  I promise, the two are related. 

Nine years ago this week I drove up to a large college campus dressed in a suit and heels, briefcase in hand, hope in my heart.  I interviewed for vet school and ... well ... let's just say it didn't go as well as it could have.  When one member of the selection committee told me that I was 'the most colorful character' they'd interviewed all day, I knew I was tanked.  When faced with an uncomfortable situation I tend to start cracking jokes and apparently this was neither the appropriate time or place to do so.  My bad.

I felt utterly defeated as I drove back to my parents' house for the night before returning to my college the next day.  I just wanted to sulk in my bedroom and be left alone.  

My dad gave me a bit of time alone in my room before entering and directing me to come out into the living room and tell my mother how everything had gone during my interview.  

I flat out told him "NO."  After all, I was all of 20 years old and I no longer lived in his house on a full time basis.  I was nearly as much of an adult as him, right?  We were surely more like peers than a child/parent relationship, right?

Wrong.  

I could see the muscles in his neck tense slightly and knew I was in for it.

WHAP!  His hand connected with my bottom with the same amount of force an Olympian uses to spike a volleyball during the summer games.

He clarified very quickly that we were, in fact, in a child/parent relationship and not 'peers' as I had hoped.  He again directed me to go talk to my mother which I promptly obeyed.

I won't say that spanking is always the answer, but I will say that it has been nine years since I talked back to my dad.  Makes you think a bit, huh?