truth or dare

A game engaging adolescents and almost adolescents for years, playing Truth or Dare makes everyone feel like a teenager. “I dare you to hold her hand all the way to the water fountain!” says one fifth grader. The two students take the dare and complete it. “I dare you to run up to the principal and tell him he stinks,” commands a red haired boy. ”No way. I’ll take the truth.”
the hook is the risk
Posing a challenge to a friend or acquaintance was scary…sometime the most frightening part of the game. A 13-year-old playing Truth or Dare was about the safest way to break “the rules.” When a Mama wasn’t telling a teenager what to do, school friends and buddies were full of directions. Truth or Dare was sanctioned by all ages and social classes. It was a way to take a risk or try being reckless. But playing Truth or Dare was safe.
the high
Truth or Dare in 1969 meant sharing a diary secret like who kissed the school thug who wasn’t popular. Secrets of this year…wait, nobody keeps secrets! Today, those who experience the “high” from a dare are the ones who kept secrets. They abuse nothing because they share nothing. The “high” occurs when they accept a dare.
dares are real
For Truth or Dare newbies, dares are real. The newbies believe that life will change if they don’t accept a dare. They think that someone is a witness to their “truths”. Cons knowingly exploit newbies for information to trade for bribes and for reference material when questioned by authorities. New kids to Truth or Dare do not know these unspoken rules.

Truth or Dare is a game. It's a no-brainer game for the risk takers, challenges the do-gooders, and gives the teenagers something to do. It is fun.

good morning

If a kid rides to school in a car and gets out at the sidewalk that leads to the front door of the school, chances are that a teacher, principal, or both will open the car door. The first thing those education types say is “Good morning!” 
what to say
“Good morning” is the usual kid response, but many times he doesn’t say a word and heads for the door without even a smile. Saying anything to anyone for less than an hour since eyes closed time is torture to most of humanity. Humans were not wired to speak much before nine o’clock….except for those irritating people who like to talk in the morning. For them, the salutation "Good morning" means “let’s talk!”
consider the alternative
High on everyone’s list of things to consider should be a human social interaction experiment. That investigation would require those who speak before 9 a.m. to carry around a sign that says something meaningful. Meaningful is subjective, but the sign carrier should consider the audience. What about: Hey, you! Smile OR Hi! I’m just glad to be awake!
back to the school carpool line
Kids are powerless to change the social laws that govern their lives. They use silence to communicate their opinion about the rules that govern them. When faced with a teacher opening their car door and saying “good morning,” each kid chooses to respond or to keep walking. 
The question is...how will the greeter feel about that kid?

what was she thinking?

It was hard enough to walk in front of the entire senior class eating at the senior lunch table being seniors. At the worst moment in time she screams, “Ray-Ray come over here a minute.” 

I knew I wasn’t in trouble. I never cause trouble. And the only people who call me Ray-Ray are those who were at the hospital when I was born. “Dougie, Whadaya think of your baby brother Ray-Ray,” said my dad when he looked in the nursery window with a bunch of family and friends.
what does she want?
She is Mrs. Conner. Biology teacher, big woman who drives a white Mustang and embarrasses freshman boys. I look at my lunch tray and wonder how I can create a diversion with it and run away. No luck. “Ray, I need to ask you something!” This time I know the entire cafeteria is looking at me. I drop my head and my tray down into burden-carrying stance and drag my feet to meet Mrs. Conner.
“Hi, Miz Conner,” I said politely.
“How’s your mom?” she asked.
How’s my mom?! Lady are you kidding me. You heralded my entrance without my permission. You alert the entire class of my existence to ask me about Mom? I keep these thoughts in my mouth and say, “She’s fine.”
“Well, tell her I asked about her,” Mrs. Conner replies.
“Yes’m,” and I leave.
what should I’ve done?
I should have ignored her. I should have flipped her the bird when she wasn’t looking but when all the seniors were. I should have made fun of her clothes under my breath as I passed the seniors’ table. I should have smiled and nodded at her making it appear I was in control and she wasn’t.
But I’m a freshman. Freshman don’t do stupid things. Seniors do.

family support and love

Somewhere between feeling smug and confident is the pleasure of accomplishment.  The task related to this joy can be anything. It seems there is a direct correlation between the length of the procrastination and the degree of accomplishment satisfaction.

A high

Every task does not have the same accomplishment generating high.  If we knew exactly which acts would produce emotional jackpot, I think we would arrange each day differently.

Kids spend 1,260 hours each year at school. From kindergarten till high school graduation that is 71% of the non-asleep day spent with teachers. The feeling of accomplishment becomes an education issue when a child goes home empty in that department.

Emmanuel and Susan

Emmanuel loved going to Ms. Barnes’ class each day. She smiled at him, talked to him about things important—-pets, brothers, soccer, and how well he did class. When he threw his backpack down at the back door of his home he almost yelled out a list of things he learned and did at at school. Susan walked through the same doors as her brother. She rarely shouted to her mom about anything. She checked the disposition of her cat, turned on the television, and tried to forget about her day at school. 

“What do you think will be the rest of the story for these two kids from the same family?” asked the college instructor.

“Emmanuel will go to college and be a productive adult. Susan will become pregnant and end up on welfare. All because of teachers!” replied a college education major in the back of the lecture hall.

Education vaccination

“Guess again,” replied the instructor. “Emmanuel will finish college and climb out of poverty. But Susan will become productive also….They have an education vaccination. It’s called family support and love.”

“But educators can’t fix that!” yelled the student from the back of the lecture hall.

“You are right. We can’t give the Susans of the world the family support and love they needs. But we can keep working on a vaccination,” replied the instructor.