Just Call Me Miss Social

Squeal! Sixth grade social was today. Socials at our school consist of lots of running around, oodles of screaming, and cookies. Yes, cookies. You would have thought these children had never had a cookie before the way they swarmed that refreshment table. I feared a riot would break out any minute once students got their hand stamped and then realized they were doomed to wait in the mile long line for their cookies and soda. I wanted to tell them, "It's not worth it, go dance, have fun. You're losing 20 minutes of social for Hydrox cookies (read: knock off Oreos)!"

Once their bellies were full of soda and cookies the real fun began. In the cafeteria we had music blaring and these students know how to rock. I think that's what I love about early sixth grade. They don't know to be self-conscious, they're 100% kid and they dance their little hearts out. Beanpole legs were flying, hips were gyrating and kids were really getting into Poker Face.

At times I wondered if it was okay that I was silently laughing at students as the behaved with reckless abandon. But I wasn't really laughing at them in the mean girl kind of way, I was appreciating what it was like to be someone who didn't worry all the time about how they appear, whether they look stupid or some one's going to get wrong idea. I wish I practiced that kind of freedom in my own life.

So while there is no getting around how funny the Thriller moves were or the pocket of students who resigned to do the robot the entire hour and a half, I love that they did. By the spring social that freedom will be gone. In it's place will be whispered comments, hurtful laughter, and groups divided. But for today, they are young, they love to laugh and dance and they don't care who's watching.