Outside of our Academy antics, Principal Donadoni tends to lie low. But boy, am I lyin’ low right now. I mean, my beloved Yankees are at the bottom of the barrel, and to sprinkle more pain on my pity party -the Red Sox keep winning. The desk is piled high with evaluations, permission slips, vacation requests like sleepovers and ice cream. And I can see stacks of paperwork to do. Bills to pay. You know, like for the home repairs we usually need after I try to do home repairs. So, yes it feels like I am in last place too. For the time being.

Timing is everything. And when you have it. You have it. Like when I saunter into the boss’s kitchen with hunger pangs and the Assistant Principal is making meatballs. That’s good timing. Real good timing. But then there’s bad timing which, right now is why I am lying low. Or is it laying low? Lain low? Whatever. I am down.

My Mr. Magoo mission to the store to buy baked goods for Student Appreciation Week at the Academy was uneventful. Until, it wasn’t. Enter: Event.

I attempted to do what I always do. Which is follow the flow of the traffic pattern in front of me. Unfortunately, the “flow” of my day was perceived differently by the officer who kindly said the light was red. Who knew?

I don’t find the red light vs. yellow light- should I go or should I stay- debate all that upsetting or stressful. I like finding the gray areas in life. Hell, I am colorblind so I live life in the gray. But- on this day, I was apparently not seeing red (light), and then I was seeing red in my head and it’s gonna cost me lots of green if you know what I mean.

How could I not have checked the light? Too much faith in the driver in front of me? Maybe just a sense that I am Bill Donadoni- don’t they know who I am?

I mean- if the driver in front of me could do it…I could…right? So, I went. And away we went. Kind of like I followed Patrick’s lead all those amazingly mischievously joyous times in Sister Joan’s class. Or, followed the wise old Charlie’s wisdom to find novel ways to torture Mr. Lovechio in math class. (Although as a high school sophomore I really really disliked getting kicked out of class and sent to…my mother’s class. Yet another story for another day) Following those legends didn’t get me to the head of the class, or the National Honor Society for that matter- but we for sure got plenty of laughs and maybe still do. But-I digress. The guy in front of me made his turn through the light, and then I followed him dutifully on my way only to hear that stomach churning wail of a siren. Bad timing, I guess.

Of course, I am grateful too. I had this fantastic opportunity to sacrifice my dignity, wallet, car insurance, etc… so that my sixteen year old driver would see that real world actions have real world consequences. Although, I am still not sure what is worse. Never being allowed to groan impatiently again as my wife stops at a yellow light or having to pay an expensive ticket? Either way, Principal Donadoni has learned humility. I think. I hope. Timing is everything, and so while I am certainly going to suffer the shovelfuls of shame that comes with breaking the law, I am going to hold my head up high because every good leader knows they are not perfect and sometimes the lessons learned or demonstrated are more important than the misdeed itself.

Let’s hope those lessons get learned, the fine gets paid, and the Yankees start hitting so that my timing comes back too. Timing is everything. Especially when sailing through the intersections of life on nothing more than faith, spotty WiFi, and a hole in the bucket.

Thanks for Coming!