Friday Field Notes: Lasers

Someone on my improv team thought it would be a fantastic idea to go to LaserQuest last May. Everyone loves a good game of tag with lasers, so I went along.

Note #1: If you go to LQ as a group of twentysomethings, make sure you really think about when you go. Evenings are probably fine. Weekend evenings are probably better. Stay away from prime birthday party times (afternoons, weekends). If you decide to go during one of these times, prepare to be the only people over the age of 12. Besides parents.

We went to LaserQuest on a Sunday afternoon.

Note #2: Don’t buy two games at once, thinking you’ll absolutely want to play a second game. There is no telling how well your first game will go. Don’t overcommit to the number of games you want to play.

We bought two games upfront. The first game was great. I even got over the fact that I was taken down the most by a mom who had found a great spot to snipe.

Note #3: If you hear someone refer to you as “Miss/Mr/Mrs Yourlastname” in a moderately embarrassing location, it’s going to be an embarrassing situation.

While we’re waiting for the second game to start I hear, “Miss B! I think that’s Miss B! Hey guys look! It’s Miss B!” I turned around to where the voice was coming from. I see a birthday party of boys. Lots of boys. To be specific, every grade 3 boy in the school that I had just finished a placement at. I knew every single boy by name. I had taught them all math and soil and the prune song. I had rapped multiplication tables with these children. I had danced choreographed dances in gym class with these kids. I had not, however, met any of their parents.

Note #4: If you’re in a moderately embarrassing unprofessional location, an exchange that would ordinarily be professional and mildly awkward is going to be much more awkward as you try and make it professional.

I walked over to the Birthday Boy’s dad and said, “Hi, I’m uh…Ama…Miss…B…um Amanda….uh their student teacher this past term. And I’m at LaserQuest. I don’t normally do this, I promise. I uh. Yeah. Your son is great.”

Note #5: If you’ve already been awkward when you should have been professional, don’t make it worse.

“Miss B! Are you going to PLAY with us?”
“Well I paid for the game already.”

Note #6: If you can’t get out of an awkward situation, make the best of it.

“Yes I’m going to play with you. And I’m going to win, too. Watch out, boys.”

Note #7: Being the Birthday Boy means nothing to me.

I played. I shot those boys with lasers. I got 100 points shooting the Birthday Boy. I may have done this on purpose. He caused me a lot of stress in the classroom. The boys were impressed with me. They told me so after the game.

Note #8: Cover all your bases.

I then went home and emailed my teaching partner: “If the boys tell you that I shot them this weekend, it’s true. But don’t worry, it was with lasers.”