The scene: junior high gym.
The crowd: a group of newly minted 7th graders sitting on the bleachers.
The time: first day of gym class in the big pond known as junior high.
The main actor: the gym teacher.
Gym teacher: (paraphrase) Listen, you aren’t in grade school anymore. You’re getting older. You have to start taking care of yourself. You have to shower after each gym class. (verbatim) Because the only one who can’t smell your body odor is…you.
As I mentioned yesterday, an old friend of mine died last week. Shane and I met in 6th grade when his family moved in up the street. Since we lived on a boundary street we could choose the school we attended. Technically, we were rivals. At least our schools were. He rode the bus to the newer junior high. I attended the school on this side of town. The funny thing is, we were closer when we attended different schools. When it came time for us to attend the only high school in town, we drifted apart with different circles of friends.
ck's days 