When we were at school our games were simple (the Hollies)

How it was done in the sixties...

Phew!

Mid term break and wowie zowie - what a term so far. I hate it when people complain about how busy they are so I won't do that! Suffice to say that I definitely feel like I need and have earned a break. 

The school ball was on Friday night and you need to know going in that I'm NOT a fan of school balls. 

...and the seventies.

I feel I'm qualified to say that. Since 1976 (my own at Mt Albert Grammar School) I've attended a large number of school balls over the years - as a student, as a teacher, as a Deputy Principal, as a Principal and now as a Year 12 form teacher at Woodford House.

My over riding thought - teachers make lousy wall flowers. Standing around in an amazingly awkward way watching the amazingly awkward mating rituals of adolescents is NOT what I want to be doing of an evening.

The whole thing went well last night (I'm not about to criticise anyone involved in getting a school ball off the ground - it's a thankless task and the only reward is another huge 'PHEW!' that nothing happened that will make the newspapers). 

Some random quizzical thoughts that raged around in my brain as it unfolded (and the hormones raged in the youngsters): girls dancing with girls? Boys dancing with boys? Big cheers for songs like Lynyrd Skynyrd's Home Sweet Alabama and other seventies songs that emerged decades before they were born?? No one approaching staff for a dance? The Gay Gordon? No chicken dance? Cell phones everywhere? The girls' table manners were fine but the boys'? Dresses that cost nearly 2,000 dollars? Can she really walk in those heals?

Unfortunately the ball is another reminder that while I continue to age, the students remain forever 17 or 18.

The school ball next year! Oh sure - it's a date!