FLOATING IN HAPPINESS

As much as I gritched and groaned about having to sponsor Homecoming float building during my teaching years, mainly because the kids were usually an unorganized mess and the floats were even messier, there was one year that the experience was total pleasure--1996.

When I arrived at the W home, west of town, to do my 2-hour Thursday night shift, there was immediate disappointment. Rain had damaged much of what had been accomplished from the first night's building session. But, instead of tossing in the towel on the spot, the kids quickly got busy. The Junior Class "Tame the Wildcats" banners got re-worked, attached to the flatbed, and (surprise!) looked great. Gee, what's going on here? Is there something wrong with my eyes? All that needed to be completed was the welding of some spots on a float-sized goal post. The father of one of the boys oversaw that task and, voila!, finished. No crazed running around getting last minute supplies, no griping, no anxiety that this would be the worst float in Homecoming history. Amazing.

With plenty of time to spare before the evening's deadline, what would we do now? Well, Mr. W whipped up a little campfire, his wife brought out hot chocolate and the fixins for S'mores, and we celebrated. What made this night even more magical was that a lunar eclipse was in the making and there was not a cloud in the dark, country sky. I clearly recall, at one point, looking up at the billions of twinkling stars and thinking that life couldn't get much better than this. I was surrounded by good kids, caring parents, a float that would not be an embarrassment in the parade, and it was all topped off by a world of quiet beauty...almost a Zen-like experience. When the campfire died out, I wasn't eager to leave. A float-building first, for sure.

Perfection extended into the next day. Our class won the float competition, the football team beat the 'Cats, and I didn't have to help sponsor the post-game dance. Who could ask for anything better? It's a homecoming I will never forget.