Three or Four Lives

Buster and I walked past the local high school today. That’s nothing new, it’s one of our regular routes and one of us seems to like the smells along the way and about half way one of us defecates in full view of passing cars. The only thing that was different about today is that we did the walk in reverse which meant that the high school was at the tail end of the walk.

Just past the high school is a United Church and then there is a retirement apartment building. We walked past the United church with Buster straining to get at the gophers that live under the church lawn. He always tries to get the gophers, but I figure that if he is going to be a killer, he should stick to Magpies and Crows. I wouldn’t mind if he killed gophers, but they are just too smart for him and he doesn’t need any more failure in his life.

There were three kids standing on the sidewalk in front of the retirement home which I thought was a little odd since it was cool and windy and they had a warm school just up the road they could take shelter in. As I came up to them, five of their friends came out from the dumpster shelter and I caught the unmistakable smell of marijuana. Now it made sense! They were getting ready for class. I remember doing that.

There are at least three types of high school kids. Those who think that getting stoned just before going to class is a good idea because it will help them focus and retain the information the teacher is trying to get across, There are those that know that getting stoned for class is a bad idea and yet they do it anyways. Finally there are those students who would never even consider getting stoned and go to class. These are the people that do well in school and end up being the owners of the franchises that the first class of students flip burgers while the second class of students manage them.

I was one of those that knew getting stoned was a bad idea, but for some reason the part of my brain that had the information couldn’t connect with the part of the brain that made the final decision. There is a facebook page that is all about the 50^th anniversary of my high school and through this I have re-connected with some of the kids I went to school with. They are talking back and forth about the teachers we had and the bands that played at our school dances. Once they mention a teacher or band, I remember the names, but there was no way I could have dredged them up from the smoke filled 45 year old memories.

I am amazed at the people they remember, and I can’t help but think they must have been those kids that did there partying after class was over. I am kind of glad that they were so studious; otherwise none of us would be able to remember the name of that crazy math teacher with the “SS” on his belt buckle. Maybe the next go round (and there will be another life I am sure) I will save the partying for the weekends. That might be three or four lives in the future.

I should mention that I think I have over medicated tonight and if this makes even less sense than normal, that would be the reason.