Lunch: Petting Zoo Style

Think back to summer memories at a farm or state fair petting zoo. Everyone has an image of some little kid taking a big load of treats into the petting zoo area and being nearly crushed under the weight of eager sheep and goats jumping up on the kids chest, back and shoulders. The piercing screams of a scared child, the treats being thrown as far as possible, and the farm animals' sly glances at each other that clearly say "Mission accomplished" as they swarm on the treats now accessible on the ground.


This is exactly what happened in my classroom on today.


The class after lunch today was one of my senior marine science classes, and as usual the kids had a few snacks that they were still munching on when they came into class. So far there were only some boys in my class that had shown up when in walks on of the girls in my class with almost a whole hamburger that she had gotten from the store near school. Like a pack of starving hyenas their noses pricked up and they caught the burger in their gaze. Mere seconds later the girl was surrounded by at least five boys who were grabbing and scrambling for a piece of the burger, which they girl had chosen to try to stuff in her mouth as she saw the boys rushing over. The girls is attacking the burger like a starving person, attempting to get as much as possible in her mouth while a couple of the boys manage to rip off pieces. With her mouth now full the girl resorts to punching the living heck out of any part of a boy she can reach with her flailing fists, to which the boys respond with more punching. Soon there isn't much burger left as much has been ripped off or stuffed into a mouth. The girl finally escapes the circle of boys, takes one last bite, and with a final punch from one boy hands over the rest of the burger to him.


Now this may sounds violent and quasi-ridiculous, but I tell you that they were all laughing while this was happening, including the girl and that stuff like this is the norm.


Totally like a petting zoo though.


You're just lucky there's a fence...