AS THE MIND WANDERS - Segment 2 (Scroll down for opening segment)

     Although I loved going to school to escape from my dog, school was never my first choice.  It wasn’t my teachers’ first choice for me, either. Most of them didn’t like the fact that my mind and I rarely came to school together.  While I was at school, it would be playing in the irrigation ditch, eating cherries in the cherry tree, or chasing roosters (just a fantasy I had).

     If I could have gotten my mind to come to school more often, I’m certain I could have made the honor roll, although Gramps didn’t think I needed that much to make it.  He was always telling me, “You could make the honor roll if you had half a mind to.”  Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting half a mind to school. 

     When I did, my teacher would tell me, “You could do this work if you would put your mind to it.”  It sounded simple, but putting half a mind to anything is no easy task. 

     My mind and I would try to connect on occasion, but it was usually after school and during the summer.  We rarely connected during class.  This increasingly irritated my teachers.  “Mr. Maberry, has your mind taken another leave of absence?” Mr. Bagley would ask.  “Why don’t you go out in the hall and see if you can find it.”   

     After allowing me sufficient time to scour the hallways, he would call me back into the room.  “Well, Mr. Maberry, did you find it?”

     “No, but I think I can tell you where it is,” I answered.  Now that I had the attention of the entire class, I was ready to drop the bomb. 

     “Wait!” said Mr. Bagley.   “This may call for a school assembly and press release.”  After the uproar died down, he asked, “Okay, where is it?”

     “It’s been kidnapped,” I said.  Everyone stared in disbelief.  After all, who would want my mind; it never stuck around long enough for much good.

     “Who’s the unlucky one?” asked Mr. Bagley.

     “Sally,” I answered. 

     After restoring order to the class, he said, “I think you need to get your mind off Sally and let English captivate your mind.”  I tried, but Sally looked much more captivating. 

 

     It wasn’t long before my mind was off on another sightseeing venture. 

 

 

To be continued...check back soon