THE TRIP

Only a few teachers had the courage to drive with Jay Holmes. Like the cartoon character, Mr. Magoo, he veered from one near disaster to another near disaster. Re paid little attention, even to that small portion of the road that he could see. He was short and could only see that part of the road between the upper portion of the steering wheel and the dash board. He drove fast, and it was almost impossible to follow him through traffic. One summer, Mr. Holmes and two Wilbur Wright teachers were going to do graduate work at Columbia University. One of the teachers suggested to Holmes that he ride with them and help share gas expenses. "I'll pay for all the gas, and you'll ride in my car," the principal commanded. The teachers' worst fears were realized when the autocratic principal fell asleep while driving eighty miles per hour on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The teacher sitting in front guided the car to a stop on the berm of the road. In a few minutes the diminutive principal awoke, asked why they were parked there, and sped off again at eighty miles per hour. As they approached the Holland Tunnel, the passengers relaxed, as they felt their ordeal was almost over. But it was not. Mr. Holmes was driving to close to the side of the tunnel. As they peered out the side windows, they saw sparks flying off the side of the car.
 

THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL

The last few days of school each year are hectic ones for teachers. The students, eager for summer vacation are exceptionally unruly, reams of papers must be graded, finals have to be given, and the reports and other paper work required are overwhelming. A beautiful example of how a teacher can react sometimes during this stressful period is that of a woman who used to teach Spanish at our school. Besides all the other pressures, she was given the responsibility of the book room. She was personally liable for "all the thousands of books checked out each year, and she became highly upset when books were lost or missing.

On the last day of school one year, a teacher who bad finally submitted his last report and turned in his keys for the summer, passed her in the hall and gave her a cheery, '"have a nice summer!"

Suddenly all of the pent up frustrations and anxieties that she had been experiencing were released, and she turned on him like a snarling, wounded animal and screamed, "I'd have a nice summer if some of you teachers would turn your books in on time."

The departing teacher was stunned for a moment, but then thought, "I turned M books in on time."