#27 Venting.

I was talking to a friend last night online. For the sake of privacy, all of the one name in this post will be changed.
Let's call her "Arwen."
I'm fairly sure that I don't know anyone named Arwen.
So I was talking to Arwen, and she was having a really bad day, and so she was venting on me. There's nothing wrong with venting on me, but I really don't know how to handle it. Especially when she says stuff like:

Do I?
I can't imagine that.
Well I'll just go back to being happy "Arwen" who goes around frolicking with sheep. BAAA!

Now, if you know this person, you know that that's a perfectly normal thing for her to say. I didn't think that she was losing her mind or anything. I was just like...am I supposed to laugh? Was that intended to be funny? Do I catch a hint of bitter sarcasm in that statement?
I am professionally worried.
I'm still not sure what she meant.
Now, if my friend out there ever reads this, I'm not trying to make light of her situation at all. She's facing some really hard decisions and she was tired and had bad day. I think it's great that she considers me a good enough friend to be open and sincere in the stuff she wanted to talk about and that she trusts me not to gossip about her to all two of her friends that I know, which are both named "one of my sisters."
However, I just thought she should know.
NEVER DO THIS IN PUBLIC.
On also yesterday (dude, two venting stories in one post, this is out of control), there was a football game in town. Since it was playoffs, the band doesn't play there. Now, being the perceptive and intelligent person that I am (my dad told me), I knew that. However, other people didn't, so Mr. Band Teacher got asked several times in class whether we were playing or not. Then, one of the drummers asked.
He got yelled at.
"No! And if you would listen to me the first time, you wouldn't have to ask!"
So Luke (looks like there was more than one name) says, "If I could hear you the first time, I wouldn't have to ask!"
Mr. Band Teacher turned back to his stand.
And Luke said to himself, "Goodness.*"
"DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME, MR. SPRICK?!?!?!?!" and he bangs the piano.
No, he didn't, apparently.
Now, I don't know what was going on inside the teacher's head at that time. Maybe he was just having a Monday. Maybe he was just yelling at Luke because he was a drummer.
I don't know.
What's that you say? That's not technically venting?
Probably not, but if I as your band teacher ever start venting in class, I want you to do at least one of these things to me:

1. Say, "You're venting again."
Simple? Yes. Maybe that's why it probably won't work. Try number two:

2. Start playing the concert B flat scale.
That always seems to have a calming effect on our band teacher. I don't know why. I'd probably feel better if you gave me a pizza, but that's a little unreasonable for a student. If all else fails, try number three:

3. Suppress me.
For those of you who haven't read Alice in Wonderland, that means stuff me in a sack and sit on me. Now, if I don't get too caught up in the social injustices of being a teacher in today's system of education, I'll probably go to sleep. That will be the best for both of us.

So, there you have it. I hope I never get caught venting in public. I always regret it.
Maybe if I just kept a sheep around. That might solve all my problems.