My Fred Period

In 7th and 8th grades, I never made the bus after school (remember, back when bus service was still free...) Since I never made the bus, and I didn't drive because I was in 7th and 8th grade, I had to get a ride home from someone. Chiefly, my mother. At the begining of my 7th grade year, she would pick me up exactly 15 minutes after school got out. That gave me enough time to get my things and go to the band hall to talk to people, a habit which I still have... Then, my mother decided to start volunteering at the ISD building.

She mostly just stuffed envelopes and did filing and stuff, and could leave to come pick me up whenever. Then as she became a regular there, they gave her harder jobs. I know this because she told me, but I don't remember what they are because I didn't care... The one I do remember is Switchboard Operator. The days my mother subbed in for the S.O. (haha like tech... ok nm) she couldn't leave the AdMin Build till 4:30, and couldn't get to me till 4:40!

Middle school ends early... I had a lot of downtime to say the least. The first few times it happened I just hung out in the band hall. I ran copies and cut papers and typed up stuff to tape to the walls, cleaned up stuff... actually a lot of the same stuff we did this summer at the bh... hmm... once again, old habits die hard. But as it got to be a regular occurance, I ran out of things to do! I became a distraction instead of a help, so Mr Gray and Mr Westfall lovingly (they didn't express it well, but I know they meant it within) told me to stop coming! Thus begining my "Fred Period" as historians call it.

If you'll recall, when people wait for their parents to pick them up after school, they tend to gather and talk. I always talked to my friends until they left, then I would get bored and make new friends. I tried meeting people a few times but it was hard. They either weren't as extroverted as myself or they couldn't even remember me from day to day. Then I invented Fred.

To be continued...