Monday, March 07, 2011

Angry Cheyenne

Cheyenne.  Say that name to anybody in Manifest, Kansas and they would imagine a image of perfect heaven:  curly long brown hair, freckles and bright blue eyes and the best humanatarian in town.  Only one problem:  anger.

Cheyenne was on her daily routine after school:  run through homework, help out at the nursery home, and tutor at school.  She was a very organized young girl and disliked anything out of the order.  In fact, she bottled her anger every day and did pretty well at school.  Anything not on her perfect schedule shouldn't be happening.

How did she get over this predicament?  One day she was called to the counsler of gifted education, Mrs. Brock.  She assumed it was about her "problem".  When she got there she sighed and repeated everything every counsler told her.

"Okay Mrs. Brock, whatever.  I said it.  Can I go now?  This is interfering with my schedule."

"No my dear,"  Mrs. Brock said.  "Today we're just having fun."  Cheyenne started to yell in protest, but Mrs. Brock soothed her in her calm ways and gave her a quiz.

Cheyenne loved quizzes, and Mrs. Brock knew that.  It softened up her mood.  Then they played games:  Hide-and-go-seek, Mystery Box, and board games.

One day Mrs. Brock turned her life upside down.  That day during math class she was called to the counsler. Mrs. Brock said she was excused from school today and she may not do anything other than have fun.

Mrs. Brock had a plan.  Cheyenne knew it, but she went along with it anyway.  Mrs. Brock had one strength in her plan.  Cheyenne knew she had a plan but she didn't know exactly what it was.

Cheyenne rode home on her bike.  She wandered around the house looking for something to do.  She finally gave into the cookies on the counter and grabbed a soda.  She sat on the couch.  Tried to do something.  Wandered around town.  Finally she went back to school.

Cheyenne complained to Mrs. Brock.  "All day, I wandered around town, doing nothing!"

Mrs. Brock only replied, "Just think about it Chey.  Just think about it."

The next day, Cheyenne's friend, Madeline, said, "did you see that CD that came out yesterday?  It was all over town!"

The it hit her.  Anger was why she didn't have fun.  Mrs. Brock was trying to tell her that.

After school, she came bursting out of the school and hurridly biked to the counsler's office.  "I got it.  I got it!"  Cheyenne bursted with anticipation.  "It's anger isn't it?  Right?"

"You got it!"  Mrs. Brock exclaimed.

Now Cheyenne accepts that there are better things to do than being angry.