It was not a normal day at school. I knew something had to go wrong. Everything was going way too good.

Close to the 3 o'clock bell the phone rang. It was the office telling me I had basketball duty that evening. Great... Oh well, only a couple of hours. No big deal, right?

Sure. I knew it, just knew something would happen. Then it did.

After I was in the gym for maybe 10 minutes, and the lower section was almost full, I looked around and saw a former student.

James was 6 ft, and weighed around 165 pounds or more. He was on the inside of the chain. He was somewhere he knew not to be.

I called to him and he didn't move, so I started to make my way over to him, not wanting to alarm him and make him fall. He turned around as I got closer and announced he was going to "fly with the fairies".

Oh shit! He was not on his meds. He was seeing things I could not see and did not want to. As I tried to talk him back over the chain, he got very mad. No one was around to help. Where was the other teacher on duty?

He started to move to the edge. I jumped and put my fingers in his belt loop and went down while putting my legs around the pole that held the chain, giving one big pull, falling backwards. James flew over the rail and over my head. Damn, he was flying alright.

He landed above me, but my fingers were still caught. I could not move them. He was mad and started to kick me.

By this time the other teacher had showed up, telling me I should have let him go and looked the other way. "No way, not on my watch. Get the officers and get the fuck away from me," I yelled.

A short time later the officers worked at getting my fingers loose. We were going to the hospital.

Later on I was released, but James had to stay. The officer brought me back to the gym. As I walked in I started shaking, I could see James going down on the lower floor, and others hurt, or watching what he had done. I sat on the floor next to the rail and cried until I could not cry anymore.

This time the fingers will heal. The black swollen eye will get better. So will the busted nose and lip. The black and blue spots on my body will heal. The memory of him. That is another matter. He will forever be on my mind. Each time I walk into the gym.

I had to sit and watch the tape several times, going over each little section with school officers, the school board, and our lawyer. The parents and some of their friends also wanted to see it. I don't need to look at the tape. I see it a lot. I feel the pain, both mental and physical, right now.

I did not save his life. No I kept him from flying with the fairies. Instead he flew with me. A little 4ft 11in, 123 pound, 54 year old bad-mama. At least that is what some of the kids at school say I am. I guess that is good. Who knows these day?

Why do I do this? What makes me stay? One word. Love. I love the kids. I love my job. It is more than a job. It is my life. I love my life. I could do without the fairies and flying part.

This is my life as a special education teacher. Not every day is like this. Thank God. No, some days are just kind of every day, as always.

Thanks for reading about my life and my kids. Have a great day and next time you think you want a little excitement, look around. You never know what may be flying in the air. Or whom...