My Name Badge

     Each student got a 1 x 3 blue name badge when we started to the Tai Sophia Institute acupuncture school. It was a pin-on plastic with white letters. I just threw mine away about a week ago, of course. Our acupuncture class started out with 40 students, a large class, maybe the largest class the school had seen in thirty plus years.
     And, it became quickly evident that not all were meant to finish the 4 year program, at least not at the same time. So as each student left the program, either dropping back a class or flunking out (which was rare) or leaving through other avenues, I wrote their name on the badge's back as a way for me, for all of us to remember them.
     I remember referring to the badge when in school, reminding myself of them.

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What is this about being real? About doing life in front of everyone all the time?