BE KIND ANYWAY



I was acting principal of Silverdale Normal School in Hamilton for two terms in the early 2000’s. I enjoyed the formality of wearing a suit but on some late afternoons I would rebel and loudly play ‘Smoke on the Water’ by Deep Purple in my office. 
One afternoon I got a call from the local police regarding the suspicious behaviour of a man in a nearby bush reserve. I decided to check out the area myself as a way of keeping our students safe while walking home. 
Five minutes later I walked past nearby shops and entered the reserve that was networked by connecting boardwalks. Woah! Did I just see a shadowy figure lurking at the opposite entrance? My pace quickened but the figure moved out of sight just as I rounded the corner and as my feet slipped out from under me. The mystery figure had disappeared, unlike the growing smell around me and it was then that I realised I had slipped on doggie doo. Heaps of it. Yellow, stinky and smeared all over my suit. 
Flustered, I made my way back to our house. Val was outside and saw me about the same time as she smelt me. “Get on the grass and stay still while I get the hose.” 
Soon I was soaking wet while Val tried unsuccessfully to suppress her laughter. I never wore the suit again. But, this incident reminded me again that the ‘funniest things in life are never scripted’ and taking kind actions can result in unintended consequences.

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