weird

As you probably know, I was a high school teacher for 7 years. Fortunately, I had a great relationship with my students. (side note for everyone who is currently or thinks they might someday be a teacher... learn the student's names. As soon as possible. And call them by their names. And if you don't know how to pronounce it, ask. Write it down phonetically if that's what it will take to remember how to say it. Then say it correctly.) I never lived it the same zip code as the school I worked, as I didn't want to socialize with my students. I wanted to be able to go to the grocery store after a work-out, all sweaty with no make-up on and not run into kiddos. I especially wanted to be able to go grab a margarita after work and not feel guilty if I had more than one. (Granted, I AM of legal drinking age, but I just had a *thing* about not wanting my students to see me drink.) I wanted my students to know and respect me as their teacher. That's it. I gave 110% while I was "on", so I wanted some freedom when I was "off."

Which is where "Miss Bee" came from. During the myspace craze, you better believe I used it. My page was really cute. At first, I'm pretty sure that my theme was based upon the song "Milkshake." Yes, seriously. I had pink polka dots and quotes from Marilyn Monroe and quotes from the "OC" television show. (Including one that said "I'm shallow... not stupid." Summer said it, for those of you that watched it.) So obviously, I didn't want my students to be able to find me. Instead of using my full name, I just called myself Miss Bee. (Because my last name starts with a "B" and my nieces/nephews call me Aunt B.) I really didn't want my kids to see the pictures of me and my friends out downtown, or see the pictures of me in a bathing suit at the lake, much less read the blogs I posted about being young and single and dating. So, I made it impossible for them to find me.

When I jumped on the facebook bandwagon, I was no longer teaching at the high school level, so I stepped it up a notch. Instead of just "Miss Bee," I used the name "Rachel Bee." I have no idea if any of my former students would really look for me, but I still didn't want them to see my innermost thoughts or see who my friends were. I don't know why. I guess I felt like I had already given so much and I still wanted this one little piece of private life.

Well, it has been almost 3 years since I was a high school teacher and anyone I taught will graduate this year. It is actually pretty sad if you want to know the truth. I really liked teaching. (But I love what I do now too, so that makes it a little easier.) This past week, I had some time to kill and was playing around on facebook (NO, I was not doing Farmville or throwing apple pies at anyone...no offense if you play those games but I have no use for them) and decided to actually post my whole name. My real name. As in my real first name and my real last name. This might not sound like a big deal, but for me it was. The only word that I can use to explain it is "weird." ("i" before "e" except after "c" - I have to say that out loud to myself every time I write the word weird.) In a way, it is like I closed the first chapter of my adult life. Therefore, I felt it was blog-worthy.

R.I.P. "Miss Bee"