Skip the skip, up the road

“Skip the skip, up the road / Off to school you go / Don’t be a bad boy Johnny / Don’t you slip up or play the fool” – Men at Work, “Be Good Johnny. It was a warm day in 1975, and I don’t know that I’ve ever been so excited. As I packed my things, I made sure not to forget what I needed most: trick soap, sneezing powder and fake poo. These items were essential because the coming weekend promised me company with five other fifth graders, all friends and classmates. In this case, it had been determined that Bart, an 11-year-old who had been to one and all a source of humor and chaotic energy, would be our target. He was unpredictable and humorous. We loved him, but wanted to use him as a pin cushion for our childish pranks.