NO TIE FOR ME, THANK YOU

The year was 1968. I was 9 years old in the fourth grade of public school #28 in Jersey City NJ. My teacher was Miss Kaiser (as in Wilhelm). Being a public school, there were few rules about dress code or

uniforms. However, Miss Kaiser was adamant about male students being required to wear neckties. If a boy showed up not wearing one, she would cut a comically large contruction paper bow-tie and paper clip

it to his collar so that he would suffer the humiliation of being the butt of the you-didnt-wear-a-tie jokes for the rest of the day.
I was not from a wealthy family by any stretch. My worthless scum bag absentee father NEVER paid a dime of the twelve dollar a week court ordered child support.
My mother did the best she could with meager waitressing pay checks; plus I had a half-brother and a half-sister for her to feed and clothe as well.

On this day Miss Kaiser's sights fell upon me. I was the new kid in class. I was not wearing a tie.

"Gregory where is your tie?" she asked.

Simple enough question. Which I could have simply answered with a "I left it home" except for the fact that I knew I had no neckties at home. Which is why I gave her no answer. I was too embarrassed.

Thinking that the other kids would laugh at me for being poor.
Instead I said nothing.
It didn't matter, since Miss. K had already taken up a large sheet of puke green construction paper and begun cutting her clowny bowtie out for me to wear.
Oh I also forgot to mention that she made really bad kids sit on the waste basket. Another poor classmate of mine was presently sitting on the trash can with a ridiculous cartoon tie on.

"Come up here and get this"

She smiled at me hatefully as she affixed the paper clip to my collar. Here it was, the moment of truth. I wore the humiliating tie.

For about ten seconds, during which time I thought to myself: I will not wear this. Who does she think she is? She's a teacher! What is this supposed to be teaching me? Public humiliation? Conformity?

Accepting what I know to be wrong just because she's older than me?
NO!
I then marched over to the trash can, ripped the clowny tie up and tossed it in (over the stunned faces of everyone in the classroom) including the boy who sat on the can.

"GET DOWNSTAIRS TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE NOW!" she shrieked. Her face had become beet red.

So off I went. The principal was a kindly old lady whose name I unfortunately can not remember. She asked me what had happened and I told her, tearfully at this point (I was a sensitive kid prone to crying

easily) that I did not own a tie, therefore did not have one to wear. She was sympathetic and directed her pretty, young assistant to go in a file cabinet drawer where there was a whole collection of ties.

"What's your favorite color Gregory?" she asked me.
"Blue"
The young girl then leaned forward, slipped the tie on me and tied it expertly. I was in heaven. She smelled so good.

"Now there you go, you have a sharp tie, tied on for you by a lovely young lady. Go ahead back up to your class."

When I returned I endured dirty looks from Miss Kaiser for the rest of my fourth grade.
But I had won.
Now Im 51 years old and I have the added satisfaction of knowing that the ravages of time have undoubtedly taken their toll on that evil bitch as well.
More importantly my outlook about authority has stayed the same since then. No one is EVER above question. Truth is the only authority.