HAVING SOME FUN

This statement came up many times in my life, but I remember one vividly in the early 80's.  I taught at a magnet school being opened for the first time that required master teachers.   It was Hamilton Park Elementary in the Richardson School District in Dallas/Richardson.  

At each grade level there was a team of 8 teachers - 5 classroom, 2 assistant teachers and 1 special ed teacher, plus a wealth of excellent staff.  The whole school, 1st-6th grades, just opened and they needed it to succeed, hoping students wanted to be there.

We worked hard spending many hours at the school getting our classrooms ready for bused in students from 41 elementary classrooms throughout the district while also serving the community that lived there.    Working to meet the needs of all those kids served as a challenge but never have I loved teaching so much as during that time.

One Friday, or was it Saturday, night there was a gathering at the Bausch house where food and drink often took place on the weekends.    Smoking ruled as one could picture a cigarette in most people's hands along with that glass of wine.   It was a time to relax and enjoy the whole teaching staff as the school day called for much attention to being the best.  

We partied on the weekends.   One such evening at the Bausch house comes to mind.  That evening found several of us girls standing out at the pool and someone suggested we go skinny dipping.   "I'll do it if you do it" came out of someone's mouth.   Four of us agreed, taking off our clothes and while grabbing a towel from the bedroom.    As we each took a quick jump into the pool we could feel the fresh clean water in the silence of darkness.  We played like the students we cared for during the day - sneaking and silently laughing.

No one else presented themselves, in fact they didn't even know we were out in the water.  Then one new teacher happen to enter the patio and couldn't believe his eyes.   A crowd began to gather but we didn't care, probably because we were living off that bottle of wine.

There came a time when the party ended and people were departing.   Several of them spent the night til morning coffee was being served and aspirin being taken.  

I will never forget that evening.   I existed in a dream having the time of my life,   Leon there helping me every step of the way.     I wonder if those teaching friends who joined me remember that night.    What fun we experienced.   We needed a little of that childish behavior ourselves!