Beech Tree News Network

Ecc. 3, tells us there is a time to laugh- that’s from the Bible you know. It also tells us there is a time to morn. We didn’t morn, however we heard plenty of it on the beginning- boring speakers, mournful singing, in fact a whole hatful of mournfulness.
Then came the time to laugh- maybe we were not supposed to, but we sure as heck did. And plenty… with much hysteria. I am talking of one of those bum numbing affairs teachers have to endure more than they want, or need to.  Hang on- this gets better… Let me set it up. Picture a 100 or so agriculture teachers under one roof; from all over the state… all country boys who slept in their underwear (no self-respecting country boy wears pajamas). Most of us bunked together in cabins… some snored bad. Some said night prayers on their knees before retiring. Some short-sheeted others. Some told jokes- clean of course. This was summer conference. After a year of school we all just generally kicked over the traces… no kids to act dignified in front of. A sabbatical, if you will. The venue was an open shelter with only a roof- hold that thought. It has later significance.
Now- Then. When the tone-deaf quartet arose to sing a second time, the whole thing changed- a different complection came upon the scene. One could call it pandemonium.
I must digress a moment to tell you our president of the Kentucky Ag Teacher Association was known to pull a cork every now and again. He was master of ceremonies. It was evident he’d pulled the cork somewhat that night before the whole sha-bang. On this night we were “honoring” some old moss-back professor from the University of Kentucky, who was retiring. There were flowers on the make shift stage- lots of flowers. There was a quartet who sang off key. They tried to sing hymns… pretty bad. There were a bunch of other college professors sitting back of the lecture in half circle- all had a string of letters attached: PHD, MS, PMS, BS, one or two PDQ’s- maybe three who made boring speaches… sounding much like bumble bees in a jar- all the while bums got number, went ary.
Sometimes I think the Lord uses things and situations when things get too pompus; when a little levity is needed. He saw it was time for a break- “a time to laugh!!”
The MC announced the quartets  second number then went back to sit down. That’s when it all came together like clockwork. The piano player for the singers had hands poised in midair to strike the first chord. The slightly tipsy MC sat back own in his folding chair next to the piano. The chairs two rear legs slipped of the back of the stage. The MC started tail-over tealsettle backwards. As he went he grabbed for the end of the piano and only got a partial hold. The piano shot sideways somewhere out yander in the dark, leaving the piano players hands in midair with nothing to play upon. The MC lay on his back on thel oor- the chair on top of him, in back of the stage. You mean to say teachers carry on this way?
Yeah all 150 or so of us lay on the floor in a fit of uproarious mirth.
The Lord thought we needed a break. He gave us one.
Kindest regards…