Unlike many who reflect on their early years with pubescent angst, my memories of high school result in grins and giggles. Simply put, I thoroughly enjoyed my high school experience. I’m sure it wasn’t just fun and games as I recall, but hey, that’s how I remember it and I’m stickin’ to my stories. One such story takes place during my junior year.
Berne Union enjoys a closely connected community of students. All twelve grades still reside under the same roof at the edge of the same cozy little town named after its wonderful canopy of sugar maples. Heck, when I was in high school I knew most of the students and their families by name.
Somehow, I managed to get myself elected as Student Council President that year. I was honored and pledged myself to the diligence due that high office.
However, I wasn’t prepared for the accountability that came with my new “celebrity” status. Weeks before I was elected to the presidency, my friend’s mother obtained six tickets to the Spook Beckman TV Show, broadcast live each weekday from WBNS-TV in Columbus. If you don’t remember, Spook was a corny version of David Letterman.
Armed with six free tickets, we quickly assembled a group of student leader-types (me, Council President; Steve, Senior Class President; Randy, captain of the football team; and several other respected students) who, with the blessing of our parents, skipped school to attend The Spook Beckman Live TV show.
Fashion crazes in 1965 included bleeding madras shirts and angora sweaters. Without discussion or preplanning of any sort, we all arrived in Columbus wearing a vibrant array of pastel plaids and long-hair angora sweaters.
We fumbled our way into the studio and were met by the program producer who so loved our brightly colored sweaters that he insisted that we sit directly in front of Mr. Beckman’s platform. Never ones to turn down ring side seats, we accepted his gracious invitation and excitedly elbowed one another as we waited for the show to begin.
The lights came up, and the announcer shouted, “And now, the funniest host on daytime television! Mister… Spook…Beckman!”
Mr. Beckman parted the curtains, spotted us on the front row and made a beeline to our side. He hooted and chortled about how we looked like a row of Easter eggs, and we laughed along with the audience (he was exactly right…we did look like Easter eggs).
What happened next becomes a little blurry in my memory. It went something like this—“I want these six young men to sit up here on the stage with me throughout the entire show.” And that’s exactly what happened. They placed three of us on each side of Mr. Beckman and we spent the entire two-hour show as his sidekicks. I held a package of toilet paper the entire time. Spook, who referred to me as “Mr. Yellow Sweater,” did a 15-minute segment on which way one was supposed to place the toilet paper on the roll. “Hold your hand up if you’re an over the topper.” The crowd cheered while I demonstrated the proper position for over-the-top dispensing.
We had the time of our lives and couldn’t wait to regale our friends at school about our day on live television… never considering the fact our truancy had been broadcast to the known world.
That is, until we arrived at school the next day. To our surprise, each of us received a personal invitation to the Principal’s office, where he cut right to the chase. “Based on your own confession of skipping school on live television, I have determined to suspend you from class and all extra-curricular activities for three days.”
I bet you’re wondering how I’m going to spin this into something spiritual. Easy—how many times do you think we fall short of pleasing God while never knowing we’ve done just that?
I can only speak for myself when I say, “Many times each day.”
That’s why I love this Scripture—
“If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely.” 2 Thessalonians 1:12
Even when we stumble out of ignorance, Jesus has our back.
Read Ron’s column, Simple Faith, each Saturday on the Faith Page (page 3) of the Lancaster Eagle Gazette, or visit www.lancastereaglegazette.com.