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October 19, 2007
the man in the ceiling
I arrived into work late this morning. I would of been only 5 minutes late, due to my own tardiness, and my super comfy bed. But the city in there on going efforts to dig up ever road in the downtown core simotaniously, added 10 more minutes to that.
When I finally arrived, I was greeted by 3 very concerned looking faces. How sweet. They were all worried about me. Wondering were I was and how they would cope without me.
My hand swung instintively to my heart and I mouthed the words "I'm okay"
Their looks quickly changed from concern to confusion. Then finally C spoke.
"The instructor is in the ceiling."
Background info ... we have a 2 day leadership course going on in one of our classrooms. The participants are professionals in the workforce looking to tweak their skill sets.
"Why is the instructor in the ceiling?"
The three of them go into panic mode. "ssssssssshhhhh" they glance around then hudle around me. "It's a surprise for the class"
"Oh .. okay" I notice students mulling around the front desk. "So what's the problem?"
"He's locked himself in the class with a ladder, we have to get the ladder out, you know without anyone realizing what's going on."
"Right. Okay. What's the plan?"
"We thought you could come up with something."
"Something, to sneak a 10 foot ladder past 36 grown adults"
"Yeah"
I look down, bring my hand to my face and grab my chin. This seems to calm them down. LIke something profound is about to happen.
"Okay, I have it." then I look at each one individually. "But, I'm gonna need one of you to help"
C volunteers. I explain, when we walk down the hall passed the students, she is to tell me that the 'maintenance guy" was in earlier and left a ladder in the room. We will enter the room, and carry the ladder passed the students, while talking about calling the 'maintenance guy" to come collect his ladder. Then I add, you should have a bit of attitude like, he shouldn't leave a ladder lying around, roll eyes etc.
We arrive in the classroom. The instructor is half in the celing and half on the top of the ladder. When he sees us, he hoists himself up. C grabs the ladder.
Then the unexpected happens. He loses his grip or balance and his foot is thrust through the ceiling tile.
"Oh Shit!" he retracts his foot. The celing tile falls to the ground.
C and I scramble to pick up the pieces and hand them back to him. He attempts to rebuild the tile while dangling from some ropes.
C tells him we are leaving with the ladder. He says nothing. She tells him we are letting the students in. Silence.
We look at each other.
"are you okay up there"
nothing
C asks what do we do. I have no answer. I don't know. Maybe it's part of the character preparation for what ever the hell he is going to do.
"Let's go"
We grab the ladder, and hurry down the hall, hitting walls and talking loudly about caling the 'maintenance guy".
It was an emmy winning performance.
Once the ladder was safely in the office and the students were in the class. I asked again.
"Why is the instructor in the celing?"
No one can figure it out. It is obviously something very clever and smart.
** update **
I talked to the 'man in the ceiling' after the class.
"what were you hiding in the ceiling for? Was it a leadership activity? Did the students learn a skill from it"
I felt like I was a reporter, getting the big scope!
"I wanted to make an entrance"
"I drop from the ceiling and hang there for the first few minutes of the class"
hmmm ... there you have it!
Posted by Ali at October 19, 2007 11:23 AM
Comments
Maybe he was eavesdropping on the students to see if they would talk about him?
Posted by: Bridget at October 19, 2007 1:54 PM
You have to let us know how this went. What did he do?
Posted by: Vanilla at October 19, 2007 3:26 PM
Whhaaaaattt...my instructors never did that and good thing too, I might have peed my pants.
Posted by: Amanda at October 19, 2007 7:30 PM
LMAO
That's the funniest story ever!
I think I crave m&ms.
Posted by: Tea at October 19, 2007 8:50 PM
Do you work for Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, PA? That's a Michael Scott move if I've ever heard one!
Posted by: Amy at October 20, 2007 11:24 AM
Do you work for Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, PA? That's a Michael Scott move if I've ever heard one!
Posted by: Amy at October 20, 2007 11:24 AM