Roller Racers and Boogie Police

Open gym Fridays. That is what I remember from Primary school gym class. Kids carefully split into groups and assigned to stations that made kids run into class and skid into five perfectly straight lines from the red line painted carefully on the shellacked wooden floor. I have distinct memories of Josh Brooks, Brynne Diaz and I am sure Heather climbing all the way to the metal rafter of the 3 inch rope that hung 30 feet in the air with one lone knot at the bottom. That rope inspired both fear and awe in me.

I haven’t been back to a primary gym class since, so entering with 23, 6 years old made me smile uncontrollably. I instantly saw Sue Carlin and was able to finally say in person congratulations for her State Championship title. She, still emotional about the win, hugged me and raved about the team. I was proud of the girls and team I had once been a part.

Cooper and his classmates were exuberant in their switching of places to play and when Sue said I should try the roller racers, I looked down at the very small blue plastic seat. Never being one to say no, I somehow maneuvered my large body on the small plastic seat and started a game of tag that I wasn’t quite prepared for. The scarf around my neck caught my sweat and my face turned 7 shades of red as kids kept hitting me on the middle of my back, screaming, “Rebecca, you’re IT!” as what can only be called boisterous laughing came out of their little lungs. Tracey joined in and soon we all heard belly laughs echoing out of our own mouths. Then hippety hops, wall ball and even a game of foosball was played. I am not sure how I became an instant celebrity with my name being called from all corners of the gym, but I have to be honest, I reveled in the attention and forgot about the fact that my boots weren't exactly gym shoes.

Soon exhausted I stood on the sidelines of the hippety hop tag game and started to dance to the music that was being played from the small sound system in the corner of the gym.

“Rebeccaaaaaaa! You can’t boogie here!” Jacob, one of Cooper's classmates said as his hippety hop made a dead stop.

“What?” I said as I continued to move, not really hearing him. I mean when is the last time you heard the word ‘boogie’ anyway?

Now a little frantic, with a ‘I will help you out because you don’t know the rules’ whisper Jacob added, “Rebecca, If you want to boogie, you have to go next to the music.” He said pointing, “Over there!”

“But I just can’t help it! It is like my body is just moooooving with the music!” I said adding a little leg lift and perhaps what Amy would call some jazz hands.

“STOP!” both hands raising, “If you want to dance, you have to go over there! You cannot boogie here, you have to boogie next to the music!”

Realizing Jacob was not going find humor in my out of bounds dancing, I stopped after a little mumbling expressing my unhappiness with the rule.

After gym we headed back to Mrs. Mack’s classroom where the holiday party started and the mantra, “I love this place….” kept repeating in my mind. Those teachers! How amazing for Spencer, Cooper and the boogie police!

I don’t think I will soon forget December 23, 2009, one of my all time favorite days.