FW: last day warfare

 

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From: eebagley@hotmail.com
To: eebagley@hotmail.com
Subject: last day warfare
Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 12:23:41 -0700

                           The Last Day of School

 

Last year as a new driver I was totally unaware and unprepared for what apparently had become a last day bus tradition. After the bus gets moving the students start taking paper out of their binders wading it up into paper balls and have a paper war. I was so confused and surprised at this hail of paper warfare that I just pretty much let it run its course. My first run of elementary students started the fight. As the second run of Junior High students got on they did not even have to manufacture paper balls. The bus was already full of them.

 

This year on the day before the last day I reminded the students of last years paper war and warned them to not even think about it this year. If, however something like that did happen that no one would be let off the bus at the first stop until they, not me, had cleaned it all up.

 

On the last day I arrived at the school for the final trip home with black garbage bags already taped on up on the inside of the bus like black funeral crape.    It worked.    After I delivered the elementary students the bus was even cleaner than normal. This was too easy.

 

Now for the junior high students-------- As I took my seat and looked into the passenger mirror I sensed that munitions were already being manufactured behind the high back green seats. Realizing that this was a war that I was going to lose I thought I might regain some control by at least taking charge of the battle.

 

On some level you have to respect young people who take it upon themselves to defy their elder authority in the name of fun. I had told them I didn't want it to happen and I had also explained the consequences if it did. They apparently were choosing the consequences.

 

Before I started away from the school I reminded them that no one was getting off the bus till it was all cleaned up. I directed them that there was to be no flying objects till we were out of sight of the school and away from any other buses. I didn't want any other driver calling in backup help for a besieged driver.

 

After we passed though the first stop light I gave the command to commence firing.---- It was marvelous.---- A hail of white—front to back—side to side as new munitions were being made and the previously used ones were being refired. This went on for about four miles. Even before I had pulled off the road for the first stop the students had begun their cleanup. They took to it with the same vigor as they had the paper war. In the mist of the clean up one girl said, "This was so worth it."

 

Well it was for me too. Mr. "B"