Hmm . . . I wonder why?
Anyway, Chris' favorite Christmas song at the time was Weird Al's The Night Santa Went Crazy. If you are not familiar with the song, here it is. And even if you are, this is worth a look. I like the stop-motion, he made Weird Al look like Burl Ives in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. And the laughter at the end is added, it's not in the original, but I do like the touch.
So, Chris came home really excited: he was going to get to sing the song for class. I was a little worried. I had a sneaking suspicion that she was counting on more main-stream songs like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells, or Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.
As I helped Chris with memorizing the song, I did warn him that this was probably not the type of song his teacher was looking for. I suggested other songs. He was quite determined. Anyone who knows him now will not find it hard to believe that he could be determined even at that age.
So he hearsed, and rehearsed. Being my son, he could sing the song, a capella, without changing key or losing the rhythm. I was very proud of how hard he'd worked. (If you think that's easy - try it. Find a song you like, time how long it lasts, then sing it without the accompaniment. See if it still lasts that long, and if you haven't transposed it somewhere along the line. Most people do.)
Finally, the day came for him to sing his song. I told him that I wanted him to clearly announce the name of the song and that it was by Weird Al. I warned him that his teacher might not let him sing, or she might interrupt him. After all, the song lasts about 4 minutes! He was not to get angry or hurt. He knew that I was a little concerned that his teacher might not appreciate Weird Al.
Shortly after lunch, I got the phone call that parents dread: the school secretary calling to have me come and get my son. He was being suspended for the rest of the day. I rushed to the school, imagining blood and guts. Hands shaking, I got to the school, and walked into the office. I saw my son, sitting on a bench, looking at his shoes. I started over to talk to him, but we were both immediately ushered into the principal's office. In law, the accused has the opportunity to consult with their counsel. We were not granted that basic right.
The principal was an imposing, white-haired woman. She scared me; I can only imagine how she terrified the kids. She allowed me to sit, but there was no place for Chris, he had to stand. I was thinking, This must be bad. I hope we can afford the legal fees. Then she spoke. "Your son sung a completely inappropriate song in music class today." I wanted to start giggling. They called me to the school for this?!?!? Weird Al? Really?
She went on for a few minutes, while I sat there, trying to hold in my amazement. Finally, when I could get a word in, I promised that I would deal with this in the manner that it deserved. She seemed to be happy with that. I can only hope that she didn't pay attention to what I really said.
I managed to hold in my laughter until we got to the parking lot. I did ask Chris if he'd done as I'd told him. Yup, he'd announced the name of the song and that it was by Weird Al. I asked if she had ever tried to interrupt him. No. She let him sing the entire almost 4 minute song before sending the kid to the office. What a twit.
I told Chris that sometimes even people in authority can make stupid mistakes. This is a life lesson that we all learn at some point. I felt badly that he had to learn it so young. We talked about that and a lot of other things as we ate our hot fudge sundaes.
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