During my one semester at a private school in fourth grade, I remember the vocal music teacher walking in and saying, "Good morning, class." The class stood and replied, "Good morning, Sister." One student inadvertently said, "Good afternoon...I mean, Good morning."
The teacher was inexplicably incensed.
"Don't you know that it's morning?!" she bellowed. "Maybe I should have you write out 50 times, 'Good morning, Sister,' until you know it's morning!"
Our homeroom teacher then returned to the room briefly. The nun told her, "I told (the student) who started to say, 'Good afternoon,' to me that I ought to have him write out 'Good morning, Sister,' 50 times until he knows it's morning!"
Adding insult to injury, the homeroom teacher replied, "I think that would be a good idea, Sister."
I remember thinking, "Why are these two teachers getting so upset over nothing? He made a minor mistake. He corrected it! Even if he hadn't corrected it, saying 'Good afternoon' inadvertently doesn't warrant outrage, and it certainly doesn't warrant a punishment."
I don't know whatever happened to the student who dared to say, "Good afternoon." My guess is, though, that he still bristles at the memory of that too-easily-offended music teacher.
