Dreams Are Made of Incomplete Lists

Theme song: Rock n Roll High School

Last night I dreamt that I was going back to high school.

I was with Debbie Lebeck, who was our high school's official baton twirler. I don't think of her often, but when I do I think of her fondly (Hi, Debbie!). I also think of her mother, Mrs. Lebeck, who was the school's sewing teacher. She helped me sew a Calvin Klein pattern skirt that is one of my fondest high school memories. The fabric was blue and white cotton, and it was a wrap skirt. I wish I still had it.

Alright, so there are Debbie and I, standing at the edge of our piney campus. I ask Debbie why we have to go back to high school and she gives me a whole list of reasons.

I love lists! I love reasons!

I love the list Debbie gives me! Still asleep, I decide to memorize the list of reasons why everyone goes to high school twice so that I can blog about it. I spend what feels like the next several hours memorizing the list. At some point, I fall completely asleep, wake up exhausted to the sound of my iPhone's timba, and can only remember one reason everyone goes to high school twice.

Wanna know what it is?

Of course you do!

So I'll tell you.

Really.

I will.

Okay.

Here goes.

The reason we go to high school twice is to learn, among many unremembered qualities, courage.

Not to be negative, but I was one of those people who thought high school was mainly a waste of time. I don't think I learned much about courage there, although I am eternally grateful for my English classes with Mrs. "Bunny" Coulter.

My son is going to high school in just about a month and a half. I'll admit: Hank going to high school automatically elevates the whole institution for me. If I had to place bets, I'd say that I will learn way more the second time--with him. I'll probably learn a lot about myself. Maybe I'll even learn to appreciate high school. I just hope the experience doesn't require too much courage on his part or on mine.

*

{photo credit: Steve Snodgrass}

*Probably America's most famous high school, Little Rock's Central High School was a test site for the Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education. On September 23, 1957, nine African-American teenagers withstood an angry crowd protesting integration as they entered the school for the first time. Most high schoolers never need to show this kind of courage, it's true.