The Rewards

Maybe I wouldn't kill my own mother to sit here but maybe I would. . . hard to say.

 If we were good in class, or it was our birthday, we got to sit in a plywood train desk for a little while or for the whole day. I will testify that never have so many given so much for so little. We would sit quietly for an hour just for a chance to be chosen the quietest and be beckoned forward to our reward.

If I am being honest, and I am trying to be, was like most of life's rewards, much superior in the anticipation. The desk was cramped and had little visibility. Also like most of life's rewards, the chosen pretends to have a great time just to rub it in. This is how Disney Land works.

The other great reward was going to recess a few moments early. That meant we could run over and monopolize the swing set before anyone else got out of class. We had a small play-set in the little kids playground with only two swings. The goal was to run fast to get on a swing and then sit there as your butt went numb for the entire recess. The slowpokes begged for even one tiny turn and the swing lord would gloat as the choked on the jealousy. The swing was not fun enough to justify a 15 minute commitment but being the center of attention while the hoi polloi begged was. This is how country clubs work.

See? I did learn important life lessons in school.