Race horses and mules

I've been thinking a lot this week about race horses and mules. Thoroughbreds are the rock stars. They are the people who walk into a room and light it up. I've known a few throughout my life. Some handle being thoroughbreds better than others - they are the true stars, the ones you are grateful to call friends, the ones who leave a hole when they are gone.

There is a young teacher in my school who is a star. Everyone who meets her wants to teach their small part because she is being groomed for better things and we want her to succeed. She isn't snotty about it, but she isn't a fool either. She can see what is happening.

Then there are the mules. Mules tend to do more than their share and will plod along doing the work. They may be smarter than the stars or not, but they are will ing to do the bulk of the work if you feed them every now and then.

There are, of course, other beasts in the stable. But it is really interesting (to me) to watch someone who is neither a star nor a mule get bent out of shape because they are not treated like a star.

Funsucker is teaching math. She wants to be a general ed teacher in another subject. It will probably never happen. She sees herself as a star. She isn't.

I, by the way, am a mule and have known this my whole life. I cannot tell you how many people recognize this and call me a jackass. It makes me proud! Seriously, I am happy to do the work. At a certain point, when I know they know I am doing it and refuse to do anything to recognize it, I find myself changing direction.

At a meeting last month, it was a teacher's birthday - the star's mentioned earlier. Now, she and her friends celebrate each other's birthdays all the time, so it was no surprise that one of them organized a birthday party for this meeting and brought the cake. Star would do it for her.

Another beast - definitely neither star nor mule, sat there fussing that it had been HER birthday the week before and NOBADY brought her a cake. Well, she doesn't do that for anyone else, either. Why was she surprised?

No one did it for mine - ut I don't recognize anyone else's either. My family remembers and that is what matters to me.

Ramblings, no real purpose. Have you stopped and thought whether you are a thoroughbred, a mule, or something else?