And then I fell down...

So last night was the homecoming football game at my school. It was special because my Chamber Singer kids were set to sing the National Anthem. Last time we sang the piece at a football game, we had just learned the song and it wasn't very polished. All of us were feeling much more confident about this performance and excited to show our stuff.

Let me paint you a picture. The stands are packed, the cheer squad is warming up, the announcer calls everyone's attention to the edge of the field where the Chamber Singers are arranging themselves behind a row of microphones. I'm giving the pitch from the pitch pipe and making sure everyone is arranged when I take a step back only to find no ground underneath my foot.

Our field is surrounded by a dirt track and there is a HUGE lip (4-5") on the edge. When I took a step back, part of my foot fell off the back. Instead of falling over gracefully, I teetered about, stumbling to and fro trying to regain balance until....splat...I landed hard on all fours...in front of my kids and a HUGE crowd. Ugh. Utter shock. Dave was standing nearby with the camera ready to capture the kids singing. One of the kids said, "Mr. Panther, did you get a picture?" He said, "Of course not." Another student added, "That's ok...my dad got the whole thing on video."

This year has been full of struggles and lapses in confidence at work, but last night was a clear low point. Luckily, I woke up this morning feeling much better although I am still toting black and bruised knees.

Good story.