Stop Day!

When I was at Kemper, we didn't have snow days. You had snow and you had classes that were cancelled, and since a lot of teachers lived close to Kemper, some within walking distance, school was never closed. What we did have were "Stop Days."

My new boy year, like any basic training regime, was rough. But I remember after about 8 weeks, one morning at first mess there was a buzz. The president, a retired 2 star general and the last best president Kemper had,  was there. That was uncommon, he usually stayed in the front admin offices, busy doing whatever a president of a military school did.  Well, after all the companies were seated and the prayer was said, he stood up and proclaimed that since we had worked so hard and done so well so early on, that he was declaring a Stop Day. With that the Old Boys whooped and clapped. What that meant was that school was closed and we were allowed off campus, even the New Boys! That kinda stuck some Old Boys but it passed  as it was a STOP DAY! Then it was asses and elbows. 

I remember walking up town and looking around. Not having a lot of money, no car as I was 14 and not having a lot of time; basically it was from 8-5, I went to the library. I remember they had a old bath tub painted up and it had pillows in it,so I laid in it reading. 

Then I went to A&W to eat. This A&W has a real fireplace, but at that time it wasn't lit as it wasn't cold. This was also when A&W actually served steak and baked potatoes. Not on this outing, but on later ones I would have dinner there, sit by the window and relax. It was only a few blocks from campus. 

After all that I went back to the barracks and waited for Kemper to resume its normal routine. But that day out is a favorite memory as it was my first time out and about from Kemper. That day it started to hit me what growing up meant. The air was crisper, the smell and sights were more prominent and that's why it has stayed with me for over 36 years. Like a warm blanket on my soul.