The Wasted Time Can

I just have to share this. The Music Teacher at my school has a Wasted Time Can! It is the coolest thing. It is an old coffee can that is decorated and has its' name on it. Any time a kid is playing around with something in her class, she tells them to put it in the can.

She has had the can for about three years and the stuff in it is pretty random. It has rubber bands, toys of all kinds, necklaces, bracelets, keys--even a wheel from those tennis shoes with skates on the bottom.

The kids know about the can and always hate to put things in it--but they don't argue about it--they just know that is the consequence.

Yesterday one of the kids asked, "Do we get the stuff back at the end of the year?" Another kid shouted out, "No, she gives the stuff to all the good kids!"

Actually, the stuff just stays in the can--she still has stuff that she took from kids three years ago. I think she should give the stuff back when the kid gets to 5th grade.

When I was in 5th grade, my friend Alan and I were playing with some toy cars on the bathroom walls and we got sent to the principal to get licks! The principal also took the cars away and told us that we could get them back on the last day of school.

Sure enough, we went back at the end of the year and asked for them. He had no idea what we were talking about. I told him, "They are in that top drawer on the left." He pulled them out and was surprised. He couldn't even remember taking them away from us. I told him, "You even gave us licks!" Again, he was surprised.

A few years ago, I heard that he was elected mayor of the city where I grew up. I wouldn't have voted for him!