Should Have Noted Their Age

(It is the day after my 18th birthday. I have taken the day off from school to celebrate. If we are absent from school we need to bring in a note from our parents or other legal guardian.)

Homeroom Teacher: “[My Name], do you have a note from home?”

Me: “Sorry. Just a moment.”

(I quickly write a note at my desk stating “I was sick yesterday. Signed, [My Name].”)

Homeroom Teacher: “It’s supposed to be a note from home!”

Me: “I’m 18. I’m legally an adult. I can write my own notes now.”

Homeroom Teacher: “But it’s supposed to be from home!”

Me: “Well, I could go to my locker, write the note, and tell you I brought it from home. Would that work?”

(Apparently most students hadn’t realized that they could do this once they turned eighteen. And by making a big deal of it in front of the entire class my teacher caused it to go public, leading to a rise in absences for the rest of the school year.)