A little after 10 AM this morning, as I'm teaching class, a high pitched beeping sound slips in past the windows.

"Is that a cell phone?" a student asks.

"No," I say, listening. "It sounds more like a car ala-"

I'm cut off as a concussive, rib-shaking THUMP rolls across the room. The lights flicker. Windows rattle. A stack of books falls over.

"Mr. McMillen...what was that?"

A second one occurs, complete with similar electrical fluctuations. Then, a third. I turn to the window and look down at the ground.

The entire west wing of the building is wrapped in a brownish-red smoke.

Now, I'm not a yeller. I've never found shouting to be the best classroom control mechanism, and I don't do it, but I'm in full-on panic mode now. So I turn to what has become a gossipy, chatty, curious collection of children and roar "SHUT UP." I'm not mad, you know. But I am like 50% sure we are in serious danger. Well, the effect is immediate. They shut up. "Here's what we are doing," I tell them. "You are leaving your shit where it is...you take nothing with you...and we are lining up. Because we are leaving this building. Now."

I go to hit the intercom button as I move to the exit, but someone beats me to it. The alarm goes off. The next two hours are chaos as smoke wafts through the air and police and fire engines move in all sorts of directions. Three helicopters hover overhead. Nearly a thousand eleven and twelve year olds stand around in a space smaller than a football field. The rumor going around is that our transformers....apparently housed underground and just five feet off from the building...popped like fireworks. People are talking like we might try and finish out the school day. Right. Finally, the towel is thrown in. Busses arrive and everyone goes home.

I go home and call my wife to tell her I'm alive. She has no idea what I'm talking about. I call a friend. He has no idea, either.

I check the news. Total news report reads: Children at Bryan Middle School sent home early due to power outage.

damn. Glad everyone made it out ok.

Would have been national story if a few kids died.

You know, it was probably a close thing.

One girl fell down the stairs leaving the building and I had to half carry her out. And while I was doing crowd control (specifically breaking up a gang fight) another girl tapped on my shoulder.

"Mr?"

"Not now. I'm busy."

"MISTER!"

(turning around) "What do you OHMYGODYOURFACE!"

She had an allergic reaction to something and swelled up. They had to take her away in an ambulance.

this is what's important

Check FOX later this evening..'Thousands of kids narrowly escape death in school explosion!! Terrorism suspected!'

Damn. I occasionally think about the things that could go horribly wrong while teaching. That wasn't one I ever thought about. Good to hear everyone made it out ok.

This is the beginning of The Singularity.

seriously though, glad you and most everybody else is a-o-k.

joke #2:

all the cool shit happens to McP...

sounds like you handled it well.

the link is not working.

well that had to be fun.

i presume you get an extra day off tomorrow, too? just by what you said i can't imagine things will be fixed.

Glad you're okay.

It is amazing how the media works. I also liked this little blurb as well.

http://omaha.com/article/20110217/NEWS0 ... sed-friday

Guys, McP is a hero. Breaking up a gang fight while evacuating kids from a burning building and calmly reacting to a girl with an allergic reaction.

:slow clap:

Yeah, I would have just ran out of the room.

oh, and this is how I picture McP calmly gathering the kids in a burning building:

Spoiler: show

AL

Hey man now that you're here could you please explain this post to me? Thanks.