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Yesterday, we had a fire drill at work.  A FIRE DRILL.  What are we, in Kindergarten?  I mean, really, do we need to be told that if there is a fire in the building, we should get OUT of the building, as far away from the fire as possible?  Do we need THE VOICE coming out of the ceiling, instructing us not to use the elevators?  We've been having fire drills since we started school, I think we can figure that out by now.  Also, in case we forget, there are signs posted in the elevators.  That way, anyone who managed to get a job in a corporate environment  without having had the benefit of any type of schooling (otherwise, how would they not know that you can't use the elevator in a fire?), can look at the sign and think "hum...maybe this is not the best plan"?  I mean, really.  We are at a very busy time in our business, everyone needs to be at their desks as much as possible, and we had to kill over half an hour practicing how to get to the nearest exit?  If the fire isn't enough to get you out of the building, the blaring "reeee....reee....reeee...." of the alarm will do it. 

This makes me think further (and we all know it's never a good thing when I think further), that it IS true that everything we need to know we learned in Kindergarten, and we can add the fire drill to that list.  Other things that I learned in Kindergarten that still apply today are as follows:

Mean people suck.  Stay away from them.  It's all very noble to believe that there are other, better qualities about them, and try to get to know them and see beyond the meanness, but at the end of the day, your first impressions are usually right.  There is no sense wasting your time on mean, negative people.

Boys are cute.  Yes, yes, they are.  I stand by this one to this day.  Boys ARE cute, however, if they prove to be mean, please refer to the previous observation, and stay away from them.  You cannot rehabilitate them into decent human beings, and you are only asking for heartache if you try.

Naptime is great.  Ahhh...nothing better than a snack and a nap.  Sadly, I did not take advantage of this while I had the chance.  I was one of those kids that didn't want to lay down, there was too much else I wanted to do.  There was a jungle gym outside that needed climbing, there were books that needed reading, there were toys that needed playing with.  What I wouldn't give for daily naptime these days.

Things don't always turn out the way you want.  I learned this the hard way.  Yes, it's true...it was an unfortunate Play-Doh incident.  I was determined that I  was going to make (get ready for this, it's absurd) an EAR out of Play-Doh one day in class.  Why?  Who knows, but I was going to make the most lifelike ear you had ever seen, probably in red or yellow or something like that (because we've seen lots of ears those colors in real life, right?)  I worked and worked and worked on that thing, but my friend across the table never could figure out what I was making.  SO, I decided that I would take an impression of my own ear...well, of course, that didn't work out and all I had to show for it was red or yellow Play-Doh in my hair and my ear that I spent a good chunk of time cleaning off of me.  But, it was a lesson learned, and one that still applies to this day.  But, I have found that even though things don't always turn out the way you wanted them to, they turn out the way they are meant to.

Girls rule.  Yes, I said it, and I will stand by it.  Girls rule, and if you are lucky, you have a small group of girlfriends (or as we now call each other - pals) who will be there for you through the good times and the bad.  Who will celebrate the big things and the mundane with you, and who will support you and grieve with you when necessary.  This does not mean that there are not boys out there who can and will do the same, and they must be appreciated as well, but it's the best feeling ever to have your pals to lean on, to laugh with, and just to be with.  This is one of my favorite lessons from Kindergarten, and one that I find myself constantly re-learning as the years go by.....kind of like a fire drill.....