The Respect Book

In 6th grade our teachers came up with a great way to punish us called the 'Repect Book'.

It was a yellow three-ring binder that had us living in terror. The rules were like this.....if you didn't fall out of line you stayed out of the book. If you slipped up even a little, your name went in the book.

The punishments were in steps and went like this:

First offense = Step One
Second offense within a week = Step One plus Step Two
Third offense within a week of Step Two = Step On, Two and Three.
etc....

If you stayed clean for a week, back to the first step. Got it?

The Steps were punishments like (Chris will have to update these if I get them wrong)

Step One = Miss One recess.

Step Two = Miss both recesses.

Step Three = Miss lunch, both recesses and have to write 500 lines.

Step Four = Miss lunch, both recesses write 500 lines and stay after school to clean desks and chalkboard

Step Five = Miss lunch, both recesses write 1000 lines, stay after school to clean desks and chalkboard and have a Parent / Teacher conference

Step Six = Miss lunch, both recesses write 1500 lines, stay after school to clean desks and chalkboard and have a Parent / Teacher / Principal conference and possible suspension.

I made it all the way to Step Six...thanks to Chris. I had a bad couple of weeks. As I stated before, if you went a whole week from your last offense, it started all over again....I had made it all the way to Step 5 with one more day to go to be free.

We had done reports (they took weeks to put together) on Castles and Midieval times. Mrs. Olsen called me to her desk to pick up my report. (I got a B- I think). On my way back to my desk, Chris asked me what I got, with no sound, I showed him my paper. Mrs. Olsen was sure I was talking again and yelled "Aaron.....Go get the Respect Book!"

I spun around and said "But I didn't say anything...."

She said "Don't lie to me, I saw you talking to Chris"

I yelled back "NO I WASN'T! He asked me what I got and I showed him my paper....I didn't SAY A WORD!!!"

She just pointed toward the book.

Step 6.....I think I was the only kid to make it that far the whole year.

I didn't get suspended but I did have a conference with my Mom, the Principal and Mrs. Olsen. On the way out of the conference my Mom was yelling at me for being such a crappy student (Her words) and I started crying and told her she and everyone else at the school could "go to hell". I think that was the first time I ever swore at my Mother.

She was stunned.

Chris was sorry, he really did feel bad....of course not bad enough to defend me in the heat of battle, but who is carrying a grudge now?....not me, I'm over it....really.

I never made it past Step One again.

At the end of the year....the last day. Chris walked into the teachers area (where the book was kept) pulled it from the shelf, stuck it in his backpack and we burned rubber getting home.

Chris, Me and Chris Gordon were in his backyard and burned the Respect book and all it's contents. Since it was plastic it melted and stuck to the back patio of Chris's house. I am sure, if we went there now, the scarring would still be there.

Our first act of rebellion, defiance, standing up for what we believe in. Of course it was sheltered in his back yard and we vowed never to speak of it to anyone that would get us in trouble.