The Last Recess EVER....

I remember it like it was yesterday....   It was 6th grade recess in Kansas City, MO in June of 1971 at Westridge Elementary School (which is now shut down.)   Everyone was happy, I mean REALLY HAPPY.  It is the last day of school, we are heading to Baptiste Junior High in the fall and it was a good year in Mrs. Phillips 6th grade class.   During that final afternoon recess one of my good friends, Joe Hubbard, is clearly not happy.   Joe then announces, "this is bad".  We are all amazed, shocked, surprised and puzzled.  I then ask, "Joe, what do you mean this is bad?"   Joe then goes on to say,:

"Think about it, this is our last recess EVER.  From now on, there are no more recesses.  Next year we will have multiple teachers per day, they will not be able to know who is giving out homework and who is not.  We might get swamped with homework.  It only gets worse in high school and then in college.  Then after college, you have to get a job.  There are no recesses at jobs.  Then you get married have kids, they have recesses, but you don't.  This our last recess and we should think about it."

We were all bummed.  We were just sort of standing around thinking about Joe had said.   I lost touch with Joe Hubbard, but I will never forget the last recess speech that he gave.   If Joe was as forward thinking later in life as he was in sixth grade, I am sure he is doing extremely well.  Of course, he could have gotten beaten up that day for bumming everyone out as well, but we were all too shocked to do that :-)