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At lunch a few weeks ago an old friend asked, “What lessons did you learn from your school years?”

Well, here are five that stuck to me like glue. What lessons did you learn?

1. Bells rule our life. The last high school bell, for instance, alerts us that we need to prepare for a career. Every year when the birthday bell rings, we’re reminded that time moves faster than a cheetah on a treadmill.
2. Don’t eat off your friend’s plate until he tells you it’s OK. In elementary school, I supplemented many lunches with somebody else’s dinner rolls.
3. Getting picked first on another student’s team means that the person recognizes your skill. Getting picked last means you should explore some of your other gifts.
4. Everyone can contribute. The tallest guy may be your basketball star. The smartest girl might be the school’s spelling champion. (My special gift: Teachers could point to me as a bad example.)
5. Never throw food. That’s true in the elementary lunchroom, or at the senior prom.

I learned in middle school that it’s hard to sling mashed potatoes much further than a couple of feet. Also, teachers do not appreciate gravy on their shirts.

Got a question to ask Rix? E-mail him at rix@rixquinn.com.