I was terrified of my interview, terrified I would mess up or even not talk at all.
My afternoon teacher that year was a little intimidating, so my confidence failed slightly. I didn’t speak in her class the entire year.
When I came home that first day that I spoke in school, my mother gave me a giant bear hug. “I’m so proud of you!” she exclaimed, tears shining in her eyes. Then, she told me how she’d heard about my successful day.
“Mrs. Gordon gave me a call today. She told me that your morning teacher, Mrs. Brody, refused to hear anything about her future students before school began, even though your principal begged to tell her about one girl who didn’t talk. Mrs. Brody told her not to divulge who this girl was, as she wanted a fresh start with her new students. So, as soon as your teacher finished her first class, Mrs. Gordon asked her if she’d noticed that you, Tzippy Hartstein, don’t talk. Mrs. Brody looked at her in confusion and said, “What? You must be confused. Tzippy talks normally like everyone else. Are you sure you don’t mean that shy girl, Henny Fine?” Your principal couldn’t believe what she was hearing, and she called me up right away to tell me this.”
That was probably one of the most memorable days of my life. It was a new dawn. A breakthrough.
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