Did I tell you about the time I forged the librarian's name to my report card?

I had an English teacher in high school named Mr. Bowman who made Shakespeare fun. He had a dry sense of humor that clicked with me, and he always seemed to teach more about life than just the words on the page.

By my senior year, I thought I was clever. I didn’t owe the library any fees and I didn’t have any unreturned books, but I did need the librarian’s signature on my report card to graduate. She and I had a rocky relationship, and because I didn’t ask her nicely, she refused to sign it right then. I'm sure I was not a smarty britches?!? lol

So, I did the impulsive thing, I signed her name myself. Mr. Bowman knew. I'm not sure if he knew or if I told on myself in defiance. He didn’t yell, he didn’t lecture, but he made sure I learned. He walked me into that library full of students, confess to what I had done, and ask her again the right way.

The librarian didn’t make it easy. She had me repeat my apology loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, more than once. My pride shrank smaller with each word, and the humiliation burned. When it was over, Mr. Bowman simply said, “Sometimes we have to eat crow, Ms. Smith.”

That was the real lesson. Shortcuts don’t get you where you want to go. Pride can land you in a mess, but humility will get you out of it. Not gently for sure. Owning your mistakes, especially in front of others, is hard, but it’s the kind of lesson that stays with you long after the class ends.

And in true Mr. Bowman fashion, even his final exam carried that same blend of humor and wit. His bonus question asked, “What was Macbeth’s dog’s name?”The answer? Spot. A clever nod to Lady Macbeth’s line, “Out, damned spot!” It was his way of reminding us that learning could be serious and playful all at once, just like life.

PS: No one in class got the bonus question on the exam. I'm pretty sure I am the only one that laughed at the joke. Hi-Larry-Us!