Crazy Cell Phone Lady

As I said before, I spent a lot of time with a bunch of teachers all looking for the best way to teach reading to a society that really doesn't value reading all that much. Part of the Reading Conference was a visit with Marc Brown, the author of the Arthur books. What a great thing to be in the same room with someone as brilliant and talented as he. He was also very gracious and nice and a very good speaker. At our banquet, which cost $27 to attend, he gave the after dinner speech. He was talking and we were laughing and listening intently when "Ring, Ring." The lady sitting behind us had not turned her phone off. Instead of silencing it or getting up quickly and heading toward the nearest exit, she hunkered down low and answered her phone. OK, she was older and there are times when you do have to be available so say hello and then head out. Nope. She hunkered down lower and started arguing with someone on the other end. "No, that it too far. You can't go there. Where are you? Be careful." All the while this very respected speaker is trying to talk. He is sort of looking around trying to figure out where the talking is coming from but of course, he can't see her. She is hiding behind me. I can't hear the speaker at all. She was very annoying. So, one of the organizers of the conference went over and took her by the elbow and told her she would have to step out. She yanked her elbow out and practically yelled, "I am talking to my husband!" Well, Tiffany tried to explain without talking that she needed to step out. "No! He is is a blizzard really far away and I have to talk to him now!" She did hang up but no apology to the rest of us or a thought given that she was in a room of 300 or more people. Marc Brown just kept talking and was very gracious.