Violence, Betrayal & Humiliation: Just Apply Lip Gloss.

You can see by the rather brazen way I'm applying lip gloss that it's Party Time. Yep, it's the end of term. OH, I know, us teachers are ALWAYS on holidays. When everyone else is slaving at work, we're living a Jetsetter Lifestyle, popping in on the World's Glamour Spots in our private jets. These hols I'm off to LA which is an unexpected trip as I was there in January, when I was on, yes Another Holiday.
I'm standing in front of the remains of my last lesson of the term with my senior class. Each girl had to tell a story from Kindergarten, beginning with me. Of course, I've got a whole range of horrendous Kindergarten Stories because I had a Pre-Vatican 2 Catholic Gothic Education. At the height of the Cold War, Sister M. Rosalia told us eager five year olds that if we weren't good & didn't pray to Our Lady of Lourdes or Fatima, The Russians would come down & drag us from under our beds & possibly kill us. It took me years to get over that one. She also told us that if we wanted to experience the Pain of Hell we should go home that day & turn the gas on the stove & stick our finger under the flame, just for a minute. That would give us an idea what it would be like, in case we were wondering.
Of course I thought that no one could top my stories, but I was wrong.
Stephanie told of a boy who stood on a seat in the playground & on purpose, with everyone watching, jumped on a pigeon & decapitated it. The whole class had to have counselling.
Lizzie admitted that she told her teacher that her cousin had just died when she hadn't. Everyone furiously made Sympathy Cards until the teacher rang her Mum & the truth was exposed.
Just about all the stories were about Violence, Betrayal, Brutality, Humiliation & Scapegoating. Sounds like the stuff of Lear to me. Who said Childhood Was Fun?