Honestly, if I didn’t skirt around the truth when I was a teenager I never would’ve had any fun. Was I dishonest? On occasion, yes. And on one occasion I got out of a jam by being honest after I got myself into said jam by cheating. Let me explain.
For some reason I no longer recall, I missed a geometry exam and had to take a makeup test. So I did the reasonable thing and asked one of my classmates if I could see his answers and, you know, copy them because that seemed like a good idea at the time. I liked my teacher, but didn’t really care for the subject, so I thought I could take a short cut, get the test behind me without having to study very much and no one would be the wiser. Except for one thing: my teacher gave me a different test, so basically all my answers were going to be wrong no matter what. When I got the test back, I figured there was no harm in coming clean and confessing that I had cheated (as if he wouldn’t already know this). So I went up to his desk after class and told him that I’d “borrowed” the answers and I was really sorry and would he let me retake the test. Reader, he did.
And just to prove how much of an impression this whole experience had on me, it’s the one thing I remember about test taking through three years of high school. I think my teacher taught me a more valuable lesson than he knew, although he really was a pretty smart guy after all and did know exactly what he was doing. It didn’t hurt that he liked me anyway and my record up until then had been clean, if not stellar, in his class. If I ever needed a reminder that honesty was the best policy, I got it early enough to make sure I never tried anything like that again.
Risa, this is wonderful! Your geometry teacher was wise to let you take the test again, and you learned something more important than the Pythagorean therem. I love your Charlotte Brontë-esque “Reader, he did.” Thanks for your contribution, and thanks for choosing this prompt, which has inspired many great stories.
Thanks!
Love your image, Risa, and I’m so glad you had a compassionate teacher!
Thank you!
So am I! So much trouble for me if things had gone the other way.
Good one!
Thanks! And I know you can identify everyone on the panel in the picture!
I love this story, Risa. Your teacher was very wise and obviously had some discretion regarding how best to handle your confession of cheating. I wish schools today realized there is no one-size-fits-all way of handling things like your situation.
Thank you! It could have gone much differently, I grant you!