Cold as Ice

Once upon a time, there was a woman. Some might say she was young, others might laugh uproariously at that suggestion and suggest more sensibly that she was just on the correct side of middle age.

The woman tried hard not to be troublesome to people and believed that she worked hard. The woman had a job that she loved and worked in a place with people she respected and cared for. Those people made her laugh on a daily basis. Without those people, work would have been far less pleasant for the woman.

One day, after a short, but frustrating enforced absence, the woman returned to work, ready to face the day. She was pleased with what she had achieved recently and felt positive because of the lovely comments she had received from her lovely workmates. Her day started well, despite it being chilly outside, and soon enough, the silly banter started and all was well in this woman's world.

Even the prospect of having to engage with the wild creatures they call "teenagers" did not fill the woman with dread or dismay - in fact, she was quite looking forward to seeing the little terrors.

A productive day was had. That was until one particularly wild creature decided that, as usual, he was going to be an uncooperative, unreasonable and downright rude creature. The woman was not surprised, or shocked, just exceptionally angry and frustrated at having to accept defiance and challenge from one so young, but one who should know better. The woman felt defeated and, after clearing her desk in her classroom, went to get a soothing cup of tea, before asking for support from one of her lovely colleagues. Afterwards, the woman went for a little walk, in the chilly afternoon gloom, kicked some leaves and partook of the forbidden rolling leaf tobacco. Naughty, she knows, but it took her mind of the little tears that somehow managed to escape.

Whilst polluting herself, the woman pondered on the nature of people, particularly the wild creatures. Whether it was the grey and the chill in the air, or whether she was feeling particularly frosty, the woman decided that wild creatures are like blocks of ice. Most of them, with a little time and attention, defrost a little and in doing so become that little bit easier to shape and work with.

Some, however, are like the giant icebergs that have historically been the downfall of ships classed as unsinkable. These frosty wild creatures do not melt, they are hard, unforgiving and likely to give you frostbite if you even try to work with them.

This woman knows that if she was a ship, she would not be unsinkable, and if her encounters with this particularly unforgiving and immovable iceberg of a wild creature continue, she may well crumple and disappear to the bottom of the dark sea.

(Epilogue:
The woman felt a little better after seeing the cheeky smile and wink of a colleague 'playing devil's advocate' this afternoon. The same colleague who she knows will support in dealing with the iceberg of a teenager!
She also reminded herself that most of her encounters today have been one's that have made her smile, so it's not so bad really.)