Summer is the time for vacations, picnics on the beach and reruns on the telly. For me it’s a time to meet a deadline in July for my third novel in my series entitled AS ONE MUST ONE CAN. Many thanks to those of you who responded to my plea for your favorite reruns.
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The following photo is the PROMPT. This week’s retread request is from Jennifer Pendergast. If you’re one of those who wrote a story for this prompt feel free to re-post it and enjoy the respite. Remember that all photos are private property and subject to copyright. Use other than Friday Fictioneers by permission only.
PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook
Genre: Histrionic Fiction
Word Count: 100
TO THE SHEARING
My seventh-grade social studies teacher strode the aisles like a stalking tiger.
“If Seventeen Magazine told you to, you kids would hang beach balls around your necks and dangle pop cans from your ears.”
I squirmed in my striped mini dress that varied only in color from seven others in the room.
“What’s wrong with wanting to fit in?” I asked.
“You know anything about lemmings?”
“Good in pie topped with meringue,” whispered the boy behind me.
My teacher extended his arm, hand straight, palm down and shouted, “Turn in your textbooks to page 245, ‘The Indoctrination of Hitler Youth.’”
***
When Jennifer chose this prompt I was more than happy to comply. TO THE SHEARING remains one of my favorite stories. Not only for the subject matter but because it’s based heavily on one of my favorite, if not most memorable teachers of all times. He worked hard to teach a bunch of awkward pubescent adolescents to think for ourselves. To Kevin McShane, wherever you may be, I salute you!”
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
When you first posted this story, my alter ego commented:
‘Powerful story, powerful message.
Superb as ever, Rochelle.’
And in this case, reluctantly, I absolutely agree with him.
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Dear C.E.
I’m glad this story resonated with both you and Pinky. 😉 Your comments mean a lot. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What a wonderful teacher. An inspiring story, I love it.
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Dear Gabriele,
He was a fantastic teacher. I would love to find him and thank him personally. Glad you liked the story. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Wow! That’s a heavy rejoinder to fashion conformism! Did he leave any scars on anyone?
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Dear Neil,
Mr. McShane really hated the way we kids conformed to fashion. I don’t know that he left scars, but he certainly left an impression on this girl. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I have to agree… there is complacency in following… What a superb closing.. there is always a way to learn something from reading your stories.
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Dear Björn,
It’s always nice to have you in my corner. Mr. McShane really hated fashion trends and the way we all followed like sheep. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Mr. McShane would be proud to read you now, Ms. Mini-skirt. A good teacher is worth everything the right time is worth everything.
Yours,
D.
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Dear Doug,
I’d like to think he would be proud of me. He certainly left his mark on my heart.
Thank you for stopping by, stranger.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A great teacher is an inspiration for life. I like the Seventeen magazine reference. The French would say (translated) If someone asks you to jump out the window would you do that too! Lovely story Rochelle.
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Dear Graham,
My mom used to say that. 😉 Mr. McShane was truly unforgettable. One of a kind. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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My mom said “bridge”.
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The Jugendführer, indistinguishable from the Boy Scouts in oh so many ways.
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Dear J Hardy,
Pliable young minds.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I can only copy my comment from the original – The best teachers are the ones that taught us how to think. I remember fondly my history teacher, he always challenged us to think outside the box….and especially outside the history books. Loved your story.
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Dear Loré,
Repetition is good. 😉 Thank you..again. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A good teacher is worth their weight in gold. Now how much I wonder do the Friday Fictioneers weigh.🙂
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Dear Mike,
A point to ponder.;) At any rate, Mr. McShane was amazing. Wish I knew what happened to him.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’ve had a few teachers like that. I wonder if they know how much they impacted us? We can only hope.
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Dear Dawn,
I had a few teachers that stand out in my memory. I hope they know the impact they made.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Teachers come in many forms. Not all are great. I’m having a different reaction today than when you originally posted. Hitler certainly was a teacher and knew how to mold young young minds. As well as old. I wonder if there might be a knew teacher on the block……”Social Media”. As always, I love your stories and they never grow old.
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That was a great tribute to a memorable teacher, Rochelle. Mr. McShane would love it. 🙂 — Suzanne
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Dear Suzanne,
I really wish I could share this personally with him and let him know the difference he made, even though it might not have seemed so at the time. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I love this tribute.
What has happened to our world?
Teachers are no longer allowed to teach beyond written words in a book, a process that will surely tire them as well as the students.
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Dear Chioma,
What indeed has happened? I’d like to think there are still teachers out there who care and make a difference. I’m an idealist.
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A great teacher. We need more like him lest we forget. Powerfully done, Rochelle. Contrasts the seriousness of the message with the frivolity and superficiality of those who need to be reminded.
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Dear Sandra,
Poor Mr. McShane, He spoke emphatically to a group of seemingly indifferent twelve-year-olds who wanted to fit in. I’m sure I’m not the only one who turned around and remembered his message. He was a great teacher. Thank you for your encouraging words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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He has one thing to be proud of – You!
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Aaw. Thank you, Sabiina. 😀
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A great teacher is such a wonderful gift. And what a thought-provoking story he inspired. I especially like the title.
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Dear Joy,
He was a gift. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That took a very chilling turn at the end, great story!
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Dear Ali,
Chilling is a good word. I don’t remember Mr. McShane putting it exactly that way but he definitely hated conformity for its own sake.Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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This made me laugh and then jump and then really think. Amazing in 100 words.
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Dear Louise,
I couldn’t ask for better reactions. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That’s an underrated, underused skill – teaching young people how to think for themselves. We should have a specific subject and exams taken in that – but then, I guess no one would turn up to the exam 🙂
A great story and a great sounding man. A good teacher is such a wonderful thing. 🙂
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Teaching people to think for themselves is very valuable — it is subversive to the powers that be; it gives a good moral compass; it is empowering. Teaching people to think for themselves is like Prometheus giving humanity fire — it may incur the wrath of the gods.
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People do need to question those in power. History teaches us that 🙂
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Dear Lynn and Kevin,
I don’t think many of us realized at the time what an influence that man would be. I hope that somehow he’s seen this story and knows how much he meant to me.
How pliable are the youth. Fertile ground for evil gardeners.
Thank you both for your thoughtful comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Very true, Rochelle. The young are very susceptible to all kinds of influences and often hot headed to boot – not always a good combination. All the best
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Great story, Rochelle. Reminded me of The Kinks song, ‘Dedicated Follower of fashion’.
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Dear Sylvia,
I had to look up the song. 😀 Yep, it says it all. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Pow!!!! Very well done.
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Thank you, Alicia. 😀
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Terrific post this week Rochelle, a clever introduction to such a series topic. But I admit I did laugh out loud at the Lemming pie joke!
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Dear Laurie,
The lemming joke was meant for laughs. 😉 There’s always that smart Alec kid in every class. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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fabulous! although, I have to admit, I do love a good Lemming Merangue Pie!
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Dear Samantha,
Have another slice of pie with my thanks for a nice comment. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I love the line ‘Good in pie topped with meringue’. 🙂
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What a great story! Mr McShane looks such an unlikely hero. He would so proud of his former student.
My school is about to adopt a new motto/mission statement advertised with a huge banner in the entrance hall, with the simple word ‘believe’ in huge letters. Now me being me, I would write ‘challenge’ or ‘question’ or ‘discuss’ or ‘think for yourself’ on that banner…Just ‘believe’ has a very disturbing history – as your story reminded us.
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The interesting thing is, though Fundamentalists of many an ideology promote dogmatism, even among religious believers of many different religions there are people who embrace doubt and questioning! I love this comment!
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Dear Miranda,
Perhaps “Believe” should have a subtitle that says, “and ask questions.” 😉
It wasn’t until many years later that I realized what a hero Mr. McShane was. I only wish I could tell him.
Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The teacher has an excellent point; very wise. As I note in my last post(“An Appeal to Love in a World of Hate”) that we need to be a purple thread on a white cloth! Emerson said, “Whosoever would be a man must be a nonconformist.” Indeed it is those who dare to be different who change the world.
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Dear Kevin,
Anything purple has to be wonderful. 😉 Seriously, the people who dared to think and stand out in all walks of life were the ones who changed history, either for good or bad.
Thank you for your thought provoking comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Like lambs to the slaughter – perhaps this applied to the Hitler Youth as well as to their victims.
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Dear Liz,
I believe it definitely applied to the Hitler Youth. Frightful.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I loved this post two years ago, and I love it today. Judy Fowler was my current affairs teacher. She and her husband had traveled the globe and was an excellent story teller. She was also very wise and insisted we use our head for something other than a hat holder.
Mr. Terry Thomas was my 10th grade English teacher. I tried to locate him before my book was released to let him know the impact he had on me, and that I’d become a writer. Unfortunately, he passed away a couple of years earlier. Still, I dedicated the book to him and hope that someday one of his children of grandchildren will stumble across it.
It sounds like we were both blessed to have some teachers who cared.
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I so wish I could find Kevin and tell him how much of an impact he had. Perhaps my latent interest in history has to do with seeds he planted in my somewhat dormant mind all those years ago. I had a few others that I have been able to go back and thank. Yes we have been blessed.
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Greetings, Rochelle.
A great story with a poignant lesson. Funny how difficult it is to stand apart for all the generations at that age …and sad that even as adults many are still incapable.
Happy trails!
Sara
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Dear Sara,
Those early teen years are ones I would never want to relive. 😉 But the fashion industry is a prime example of the shepherd leading the sheep to the shearing. Thank you for your thoughtful comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You could not convince me to return to my teens for anything! Fashion and the media have the ability to steer us in a way I think most elected leaders can only dream of…
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When I first read your story, I didn’t know what lemming was. Once I researched about it, its tendency to follow and jump to death, everything fell into place.
Powerful story.
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Dear Samra,
I’m pleased you took some time to understand. I love to read things that teach me something. Thank you for your kind comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Oh, yes! Fun story. I remember it well. Yeah. Great then, great now.
Five out of five dangling pop cans. 🙂
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Dear Cuzzin Notnek,
That’s five dangling pop cans on a lanyard, right? Thanks for coming by. 😉
Shalom,
Cuzzin Shelley
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Hahaha! OK, a lanyard, then. Why not? 😀
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I remember this story, Rochelle. What a great tribute to your teacher. What would we do without the teachers of the world? Lovely piece.
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Dear Amy,
Lucky is the student who has a teacher who challenges him or her to think. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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This is a great flash fact/fiction. People are often so desperate to fit in and do as they think are are told, and as history teaches us it can have terrible results.
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Dear RG,
Young teens, in particular, are doing their best to figure out their place in life. I remember wearing white lipstick, white go-go boots and ironing my hair because that was the in thing. History does teach a sobering lesson and we’re ignoring it IMHO. Thank you for dropping by. Always a pleasure to see you in the courts of the Frog Palace.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I remember desperately trying to keep up with what sort of trainers were fashionable this week or how to wear my belt. It’s incredible now how important it all was at the time, and how each generation does the same thing.
You’re right, history is destined to keep repeating itself, each time with different players
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The agony of being the odd one out – I still remember it. We’re so vulnerable to manipulation at that time in life when we’re trying to figure out who we are and where we fit. Your story shows it beautifully. And as an ex high school teacher, your memory of Mr McShane made me smile.
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I love the angle you take on this Rochelle! And what a compliment to your hard-working teacher. Thanks for hosting Friday Fictioneers. 🙂
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