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The second week into the new year, Miss Annabelle was summoned to the principal's office. The contents in the sealed envelope centered on her desk when she came in early that morning was no mystery. In fact, she had been expecting it ever since her lecture that challenged the existence of God, and especially since her lecture that challenged the authority of the government.
There it is, she thought, as she removed her camel colored coat that reflected the subtle blonde highlights in her auburn hair. There it is.
*
The first thing Jessie noticed when Miss Annabelle told him about the summons on her way out that afternoon, was how different she seemed than the first time. She appeared neither scared of the confrontation nor overly anxious that she might lose her teaching position before the school year was over. Quite worried himself, he asked her how she felt so calm.
"Because now I know my kids can't be fooled," she said, smiling. Then she turned very serious, "I'm not afraid of those vengeful adults making me look like some kind of monster. My students will pierce right through that illusion, and that thought is very comforting."
"If last time was any indication, they are going to try to make you out to be a monster," Jessie said, shaking his head.
"Oh, I know. Just listen to this," she said, pulling the summons from her purse and reading it: "The Duncan Elementary School Board will hold an emergency meeting this Thursday, 7:30 p.m., to investigate the recent actions of Miss Jennifer Annabelle, a Duncan Elementary School, Third Grade teacher. Agenda of topics: 1) teaching hatred toward government, 2) teaching hatred toward God."
"Yeah, they're going to do their best to make you look like a hatemonger, all right," Jessie said. Then he grimaced and added, "After the Burke-induced episode, why do they still go after you, anyway?"
"Because I threaten their world, Jessie. A year ago, I broke free from that world of illusions. As I told you and Angie, one day I saw through illusions not just within my marriage, but everywhere. Most adults still live in that stagnant world of illusions. Some, the leaders like Hammerschmidt, live off of the matrix of illusions. I'm going to end that matrix of illusions, so I threaten his livelihood."
"You threaten his smug world," Jessie said, fully relating to her explanation. Jessie and Angie were outsiders. They lived through very hard times and lived outside the Establishment's influences. They never got caught up in the world of illusions. They were deeply honest people who got into each other and were happy together in their own world. Therefore, they were the only adults Miss Annabelle knew who were able to honestly appreciate Miss Annabelle's work and like her as a friend.
The students' parents, on the other hand, faced a paradox. They were very impressed by their children's new love for school and for their families. The parents were just as impressed by their children's academic achievements, which went noticeably up two grades in most cases. And their children seemed so happy all week long. That was quite a smooth-sailing boat to now have to rock.
For, unbeknownst to Miss Annabelle, the school board sent its summons for the emergency meeting to the parents of Miss Annabelle's students. Upon reading that summons, the idea of Miss Annabelle spreading hate was planted in the parents' minds and started growing into uneasiness and concern. Several parents went back to their tapes and listened to the last couple of months of general lectures. Some of the parents started worrying, and some of them started calling each other to ask if Miss Annabelle seemed a little bit weird.
*
During her science lecture on Wednesday, Miss Annabelle noticed that Cathy seemed unusually distracted. She fidgeted continuously in her chair. Finally, Miss Annabelle asked Cathy if everything was OK.
"I think so," the trimmed-down little girl said. She talked louder and with more confidence than the previous semester. "I just want to come to that special meeting about you."
"Me too!" four or five other kids added.
Miss Annabelle had to sit down on the corner of her desk. I'll be damned, she thought. They notified the parents, too. For a moment, her thoughts were trapped in a state of shock.
"Are you OK, Miss Annabelle?" Cathy asked, reviving her teacher from her shock.
"Yes...yes, I'm quite all right," Miss Annabelle answered, feigning normalcy. Miss Annabelle remained seated on her desk and witnessed a half dozen or so children asking each other what meeting was Cathy talking about. As the teacher let the children sort out that question, she began to realize that she did not have to fear the confrontation. For, the two topics on the agenda merely came about as a result of her piercing through illusions to what is. As long as she continued to cut through illusions, she would do fine. She remembered the accusations that originated from Burke. Although a volatile situation back then, she came through unscathed. Of course, that time no parents were involved.
"Children," she said to the class, "Cathy is referring to a meeting this Thursday evening here at 7:30 in the evening. The school board will be reviewing what I have been teaching you. Some of them seem to be nervous about my recent talks with you, especially about God and government. Of course, you know that I'm cutting through the matrix of illusions in this world to show you what is. I'm also teaching you how to, on your own, use your minds to cut through the matrix of illusions to see what is. By doing this, you'll gain the power of God-Man and the motivation to build wonderful values for the world, someday. You will not live trapped in boring, stagnant ruts like most of our parents. You'll instead live with power, growing riches, and happiness. You'll soar beyond the suppression and resignation that results from God and government. By seeing what is, you'll become the God-Man and lead yourselves to greatness."
The students only half understood, but they loved and trusted their teacher. Although only nine years old, they increasingly sensed that she was their life preserver who was holding up their spirits and enthusiasm for life in the stormy sea of life into which others sink...into its darkness.
*
When Miss Annabelle pulled into the school parking lot at about twenty minutes past seven on Thursday evening, she was surprised to see it nearly full. Is there a parent/teacher meeting tonight for one of the other grades, she wondered, or maybe a chess tournament?
She walked up the stairs and entered the front entrance to Duncan Elementary School. She walked past the restrooms this time, not needing to stop to calm herself down. In fact, she was aware that she was surprisingly calm.
When she turned the corner to go to the lunch room, she saw a small crowd standing outside the room.
There are the parents who showed up, she thought. But when she walked toward them, she noticed they turned away from the lunch room and walked away, down the hall away from her. When she got to the lunch room, it was deserted. A sign taped on one of the two doors to the room read:
SCHOOL-BOARD MEETING
MOVED TO THE GYM
That's peculiar, Miss Annabelle thought as she continued down the corridor toward the gym. When she reached the gym, she peeked through the small oblong window on the closed door. She did not expect the sight before her: sitting on beige folding chairs were about forty people, facing her from across the gym. Miss Annabelle immediately recognized her students...all twelve came here to support her, she realized. Of course, most parents were there, too. Obviously, they were concerned by the idea of "spreading hate". The chairs were lined up about ten across, four rows deep. Miss Annabelle took a deep breath, then entered.
Twelve little hands instantly started waving at her. Twelve little faces broke into endearing smiles. Miss Annabelle imagined what battles these children must have gone through to convince their parents to bring them here, too. The sight of the children warmed the teacher's heart.
The fuel Miss Annabelle got from Jessie and Angie in her first emergency meeting with the school board now came from her twelve little soul mates. "Hi children," she said as she walked toward the center of the gym where an empty chair awaited her.
"Hi, Miss Annabelle," they said in harmony.
"Thank you all for coming. I can feel your love and support. Thank you," she said so sweetly that, for a moment, everyone present had to ask themselves why they were here.
The stocky Mr. Hammerschmidt, superintendent of the school district, politely asked Miss Annabelle to take her seat and gestured to the lone empty chair that sat perpendicular to her students and faced a smaller group of nine chairs lined up behind three oblong lunch tables where the school board and principal were to sit. About half of those chairs were occupied. They were now waiting for the rest to show.
As Miss Annabelle sat down, she noticed Jessie and Angie come in the gym. They smiled at her comfortingly. Jessie picked up two more folding chairs from the corner of the gym and placed them alongside the audience section, where Miss Annabelle could see them.
At 7:45, the last school board member walked in, and the emergency meeting began:
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Hammerschmidt began. "I'm a bit surprised to see all these children at this emergency meeting. May the parents be aware that we will cover two sensitive topics here that may not be appropriate for children. Therefore, I've called in Mrs. Shaffer, a substitute teacher here, to watch your children in the classroom next door while we conduct this sensitive meeting." The children's mouths dropped in dissapointment...after what they had gone through to be here! Mr. Hammerschmidt looked directly at the parents and paused. He was obviously uneasy about the children. But, to his surprise, the parents were not. They seemed to have accepted Miss Annabelle's candid relationship with their children. They seemed to realize that, because of her, their children were no longer at the maturity level of children. The parents had been listening to several of Miss Annabelle's lectures on tape. Although she was different, they admired her. Furthermore, they deeply appreciated what she had done for their children. ...And, deep within each parent was a child of the past full of wonder and motivation who begged to be free again. Free of what? Free of the matrix of illusions. At their subconscious level, Miss Annabelle was a bridge back to their childhood before they had lost their potential in life to resignation. Miss Annabelle represented a way out of the matrix and back to their natural, deep motivational drives. Of course, all those hopes were on a subconscious level.
The superintendent pressed on with a hard stare at the parents and, after a tense moment, he said, louder this time, "Parents, are you going to do the decent thing and remove these children? Mrs. Shaffer is waiting." He gestured to the substitute teacher standing by the door. To the surprise of every school board member, the parents either defiantly shook their heads or sat in stone silence.
Miss Annabelle's heart beat faster. She loved the children so deeply, and to see their parents respect the children's needs over someone's authoritative voice filled Miss Annabelle with hope. Tonight, she would learn something uplifting about adults, something that she never realized before. Tonight, she would learn about adults who have innocently succumbed to resignation, but are good people without envy. Such adults can someday make the journey back to recapture their deep motivational drive and the success and happiness that will come from it. ...Could it be, she wondered, the children who will help their parents get back home to the real self before the matrix took over? Could it be the children who will save the adults?
Her provocative thought was broken. "Alright then," Mr. Hammerschmidt said. "Let's get started." He then looked at the attractive, petite woman sitting about 15 feet directly before him. "As you know, Miss Annabelle, my name is Mr. Hammerschmidt, and I'm the superintendent of the school district." He went on to introduce the members of the school board. "Today we must investigate two topics regarding you, Miss Annabelle: 1) your attacks on government, and 2) your attacks on God in a classroom of third graders. ...So, let us begin. I have two basic questions I will ask Miss Annabelle on behalf of the school, students, and parents, and we will let her answer these questions.
"First question: I'm sure all parents here share this troublesome concern as to why, Miss Annabelle, do you encourage these children during your lectures to do illegal acts?"
Oh, what a spin doctor, Miss Annabelle said to herself. Then she said out loud, "Mr. Hammerschmidt, I'll gladly answer your question." The audience turned their eyes toward her. "But first, I'll clear up some false impressions you've managed to create. I'll do this in order to answer within the proper context."
"Miss Annabelle, no one here is creating false impressions," Mr. Hammerschmidt snapped back defensively.
"Oh, I'm not so sure about that," the petite woman said, holding her ground. Then, she surprised him by saying, "Aren't you running for lieutenant governor in November?"
"That has nothing to do with this," he answered, obviously ruffled and not able to fully cover up his hatred toward the pretty woman directly before him. But about half the audience was nodding. She was the very image of a woman he could never approach in the real world, but he now had false power over this competitive woman with beauty and brains. Of course, that false power over competitive women and men was the impetus behind this uncompetitive man's aspirations to enter politics.
"As I said, I'll start by clearing up two false impressions," Miss Annabelle said courageously, locking eyes with Hammerschmidt. His eyes darted away, unable to handle the direct confrontation.
"First, I don't think that all these parents here shared a troubled concern about my lectures," she said as she turned her head to look at the parents. Most were shaking their heads to confirm Miss Annabelle's statement, "...at least not until you put the thought in their heads in the way that you did. That's a leveraging technique called: forced teaming."
Suddenly the burly body before her, unable to take anymore, moved his hand through the air to indicate he had enough and, in a tantrum, he cried out, "That's not true! Now answer the question, why do you encourage these children to do illegal acts?"
Not the least bit intimidated, Miss Annabelle rolled on, "Well now, that gets us to the second false impression. You ask me, why do I encourage these children to do illegal acts? Mr. Hammerschmidt, every parent would become alarmed if a teacher was, as you put it, encouraging his or her child to do illegal acts. You make me sound like a criminal ring leader. That's an effective impression, though, that would look good in the local papers for a would-be politician: Hammerschmidt Hammers Out Criminal-Minded 3rd-Grade Teacher."
"Now wait a minute, missy," he started to raise his voice but caught himself.
"No, you wait a minute, sir," Miss Annabelle said, sitting straight up and then leaning forward in her chair. "I said I'll answer your questions, and I'm sure that would be helpful to these good parents. But you stop your grandstanding, sir, or I'll take this whole thing to the press as an example of the destruction that can be whipped up from illusions created by agenda minded, aspiring politicians."
Overwhelmed by the little woman's grit, Jessie shouted, "Yeah!" as he and Angie started clapping, followed by the parents and the children. Once again, Hammerschmidt had been beaten and beaten badly by his nemesis.
"Now, to help alleviate genuine concerns for parents, it would be unconscionable for me to encourage children to blatantly do illegal acts. I do, however, teach your children to do what is right." Miss Annabelle turned her chair and body toward the parents, talking directly to them and their children. Neither Hammerschmidt nor the school board was important any longer. The parents and children could feel Miss Annabelle's genuine, heartfelt words.
"To teach your children to do what is right requires teaching them to have a mind of their own. They must learn to think for themselves and NOT to rely on others telling them what is right or wrong, including politicians, which I'm sure we agree on. The scribe of history has shown us that prosperity, freedom, and happiness demanded people using their own minds, at times questioning or challenging the world and laws around them.
"I invite everyone to listen to the lecture in question, which I have on tape. Just let me know, and I'll be happy to make you each a copy."
"So, you're promoting vigilantism," Hammerschmidt commented slyly.
Rotating herself forward to face her accuser, Miss Annabelle said, "You, sir, are lost in your political world, desperately formulating your out-of-context attacks in order to make someone a villain and yourself the rescuer -- the hero. But I'm not here to please your world of appearances or the politicians' world of illusions. I'm here to teach these children's minds to work for themselves. If something is wrongfully illegal, then they can know it and, if necessary, do the right thing. Let's ask the parents, do you want your children to someday be self-thinking adults or a flock of sheep?"
Since the meeting began, the principal Ms. Minner had been looking for an opportunity to fire a shot at Miss Annabelle. At this moment, the eerie woman who was much younger than she looked practically shouted, in her enthusiasm, "What about calling politicians wife beaters -- isn't that spreading hate against our government? Your students might grow up to be Lee Harvey Oswalds."
Miss Annabelle could not believe what she had just heard. But she knew the principal's technique of using emotionally charged non sequiturs was very effective. And she knew she must deal with the non sequitur before answering the question.
"The word non sequitur," Miss Annabelle began, "is Latin and means `it does not follow'. It does not follow that my lecture articulating the problem with politicians, which I'll address in a moment, leads children into murderous acts. The criminal mind is dominated by the belief that `others owe me a living'. My lecture, teaching children to always question the status quo, to always use their own minds in order to build important values for the human race, is certainly moving in the opposite direction of the criminal mind.
"Perhaps the biggest force moving children toward the criminal mind is the huge welfare class created by the government, moving welfare families into the mentality that they are owed a living."
Reggie's mother clapped her hands and called out, like one does in a prayer meeting, "Amen!" Miss Annabelle looked over at her, and they nodded to each other. Then the teacher looked back to the principal and continued: "I'm teaching these children to someday build great values for the world and a great life for themselves. For example, the lecture in question, I was encouraging these children to someday develop cures to life threatening diseases, such as cancer. The comments I made against the government referred to those politically ambitious bureaucrats and politicians with vote-gathering, ego-gathering agendas that block lifesaving progress. For example, everyone knows that the FDA retards, even prevents progress on lifesaving drugs. Now, when a close loved one is dying from a disease like cancer, and some politically ambitious bureaucrat is retarding or killing progress through his portfolio-building political agenda, that makes such a bureaucrat not human. When you realize that people like that are why Sally will lose her mother, that makes them worse than wife beaters. That makes them murderers." Miss Annabelle's voice broke, obviously emotionally moved.
Sally and her mother hugged each other as the other mothers looked at them and felt great compassion. Sally's mother and Miss Annabelle's eyes met. Sally's mother let go of Sally, sat up straight, and began to clap. Her clapping was slow and meaningful. She looked deep into Miss Annabelle's eyes as she stood up and continued her ovation. Jessie and Angie stood up and joined her. The other mothers joined them. Sally and all the children sprang out of their seats, smiling and clapping fast. Then, the dads joined the standing ovation.
What is happening here? Miss Annabelle wondered. Those adults are really behind me and my educational ideas that challenge the Establishment.
Her face grew full of wonder as she looked at the applauding parents and children. Her eyes moved from Sally's mom to Sally, then across the row, making contact with each adult and child. When her eyes locked on the last person on her far right, Teddy's father, Mr. Winters, she knew. As she looked at his innocent face, she saw something different than before. She saw a small fire of hope still kindling as he looked back at her.
These adults are innocent people caught in the matrix of illusions, she thought to herself, genuinely amazed at this discovery. The child of the past still lives somewhere deep within them, and perhaps I offer them hope. They are completely different than the dishonest adults who have killed that child of the past. That child within Teddy's dad, she thought while still looking into his eyes, strives to live the way man was meant to live. He still wants to make a difference in this world; he still wants to build magnificent values for society and extraordinary happiness, success, and wealth for himself.
Miss Annabelle could not identify what she was feeling at that moment while realizing those adults were behind her. She felt goosebumps running up her back and down her arms as she suddenly realized she was feeling hope, too...hope for the future, for the new world. She looked for what seemed like a long time at the parents and children, and they at her; they were like mirrors reflecting their deepest emotion of hope back to each other. ...If not for the change in these children, she thought, I don't think I would see this hope in these parents' eyes. What does that mean?
In the meantime, the school board was in a quandary. Miss Annabelle had just gotten a standing ovation from the parents. The school board superintendent wondered, what do I do now? Do I call the end to this meeting...or is there still a way to save the school from this awful threat? ...Even after the parents' confirmation of approval for Miss Annabelle, the politically ambitious school board president searched for ways to attack and perhaps destroy this value in hopes to add to his portfolio of "accomplishments". He knew that he really could become, through the voice of the media, the hero who rescued the school from an awful villain. So he pressed on...
"Thank you parents for your enthusiasm," he said with feigned sincerity, "but we must now consider something together on a more spiritual realm. I know we are all good God-fearing people...all of us but one person here." His roundish head rolled from the parents toward Miss Annabelle. To emphasize his point, he looked at her with exaggerated scorn. "It seems you parents have an atheist teaching your kids to abandon their faith in God."
Miss Annabelle knew this would be a tough subject to discuss with adults, even the innocent ones. The God concept was just too embedded in their thinking from childhood. But she was prepared...
"I believe in a creator, and I believe in God," Miss Annabelle said confidently.
"Not according to your lecture last November," the principal squealed.
"Oh yes I do," Miss Annabelle said without yielding, "only I believe in a creator or God that is closer to our own consciousness. Ms. Minner, listen to my lecture again, and you'll agree.
"And remember, Ms. Minner, different religions have different beliefs and different Gods to worship. I'm no different. My God rises from a scientific hypothesis. However, anyone who goes back and listens again to my lecture last November will see that I wasn't pushing a belief upon the children, rather I was teaching the children how to use their own minds and not follow blindly. My dialogue with Ian during that lecture was a powerful example on how to use logic to challenge tradition and, perhaps, dispel illusions that surround us."
The arrogant school-board leader blurted, "So is that what you think of God -- as some illusion?"
"No, I believe God is very real," Miss Annabelle said calmly, "But let me ask you this: If my God is different from your God, and your God is different than a Japanese man's God, and his God is different than an Arab man's God...then which Gods are the illusions?"
"Are you saying your God is real and mine is not?" Mr. Hammerschmidt said, not looking very bright.
"That's not the point," Miss Annabelle said, obviously more intellectually endowed than the wannabe politician before her. "The point is that children's minds must be shown how to challenge another person's ideas in order to become strong enough to form their own thought-through ideas. Too many children grow up just adopting the belief system given to them by society. But I believe children must be equipped with the ability to challenge and think through any belief system instead of just blindly accepting it. These children challenging your personal belief system, Mr. Hammerschmidt, is not a bad thing."
That last comment went over like an emotional tidal wave, for the parents did not like the arrogant bully. No, they did not want his beliefs pushed on their children. Jessie and Angie had to control themselves from laughing.
"And I do not push my personal beliefs on those children," Miss Annabelle added. "Instead, I teach them how to use their minds to develop their own beliefs."
"Does she believe in Jesus Christ our Savior?" Jeremiah's mother called out.
"I do believe in Jesus Christ. He's the only true Christian," Miss Annabelle answered.
"Amen to that!" Jeremiah's mother cried out. "That's all that matters," she added, looking at Mr. Hammerschmidt.
Frustrated, with nothing left to say, Mr. Hammerschmidt asked point blank, "Do you or do you not believe in God?"
Miss Annabelle answered calmly, "Yes, I do believe in God. As I said before, my God is not the same as your God."
"Tell me about your God," he said sarcastically.
"My God is called Zon." Her students looked at her curiously. They had never heard that word before. "Zon is the creator of the Universe. He rises from very advanced human consciousness called God-Man. However, as I said, I do not push my God on my students. But I will engage in a flow of logic, as I did in my lecture last November."
Miss Annabelle was purposefully avoiding a philosophical discussion on the 2000-year manipulative use of guilt by Christianity. Such a discussion would be counter productive. So she kept her answers light, sticking only on the point of not pushing her beliefs on her students. The parents were a bit confused by Miss Annabelle's sort of New Age sounding spiritual preference, but they also felt her spiritual leanings were harmless. What impressed the parents was her dogged determination to teach their children how to use their own minds. The parents liked that, and they were not about to let the school-board president have his way with her.
"May I make a suggestion?" Teddy's father injected fearlessly, directing his powerful workingman's voice at Mr. Hammerschmidt. The protocol of school-board meetings normally would not allow for outside comments like this, but Mr. Hammerschmidt was up against the wall. He knew he could not afford to make any enemies among the parents.
"Sure," he said, surprising the rest of the school board members.
"Let's call it a night," Mr. Winters said with an air of finality. He stood up and added, "I want this woman to teach my son, and I would probably look into some kind of class-action lawsuit along with the other like-minded parents here if you pulled any shenanigans to get her fired."
Like a daytime talk show, the audience clapped immediately. Miss Annabelle sat in stunned silence, her mind processing this new data that innocent adults exist who are still searching for honesty. She was pleased by the parents' reaction; she was ecstatic about her discovery of the innocent adult.
Mr. Hammerschmidt felt rage rising within. But like a smooth politician, he simply smiled and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, if you feel comfortable with the job Miss Annabelle is performing for your kids, then the school board sees no reason to take any further action." Then, turning his head to his right, he said to his fellow members, "All in favor of taking no further action, say 'I'." The school board members, some reluctantly, said, "I."
*
That night Miss Annabelle reflected on the progress of her grand puzzle for the children. I'm behind schedule, she confessed to herself. But now that I have the support and trust of the parents, I can snap together the puzzle picture of the new world and its supreme value of human life more quickly, starting tomorrow.
She felt overwhelming relief as she thought over this evening's meeting at the gym.
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