What about Recess?
Posted on Thu Sep 10th, 2020 @ 4:49pm by
Edited on on Thu Sep 10th, 2020 @ 4:54pm
1,058 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Episode 10 - New Home, Same Pioneers
Location: USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD007 1100 hrs
Enya sat doing her school work, same thing every day. Most days she loved it but today she was feeling bored. She needed a break or a change.
Rolling her eyes she knew her parents would tell her that school was important and she needed an education, she heard that all the time but right now she wanted to talk about something that had nothing to do with her studying and homework.
“Do you need some help Miss O’Flannagain,” Mr. Wallace, her hologram teacher asked her. He appeared next to her and she looked up at him.
“Do you think kids learned all this stuff thousands of years ago?” Enya asked him, instead of answering his question. “Or did they have other stuff they learned?”
“That isn’t what I asked you,” Mr. Wallace replied firmly.
“I am curious,” Enya informed him. “I won't be able to concentrate until I know the answer. Can you tell me what they did in school a long time ago?”
"You mean for subjects," Mr. Wallace asked for verification.
"Everything," Enya continued. "Did they just do homework or other stuff too?" She had watched a movie and the children played outside. She wondered if they reallly did.
"They had what was called gym class,' Mr. Wallace replied. "Children would gather there for sports, swimming and activities related to health."
"How come we don't have gym," Enya asked him, tilting her head. "I was watching a movie and they had recess. Do you know what that was?" She waited in anticipation for his answer.
"Recess," Mr. Wallace spoke. "Is a term used for a period of time in which a group of young students were temporarily dismissed from their schoolwork to play on swings, slides and other equipment in the school yard."
"That sounds like fun," Enya said after a moment. "Do you think we could have gym and recess in my school day?" She didn't let him speak before she continued. "I mean look at what I am missing out on? I don't know how to play any games or get to play with other kids my age?"
"There aren't any other children on board," Mr Wallace replied. "For you to perform these activities with."
Enya thought for a moment. "What about a program that has kids in it?" she asked him. "Dad...Commander O'Flannagain said I have a holodeck program. Wouldn't it be good for me to have one?"
"Your curriculum is set up by your parents," Mr. Wallace informed her. "And the guidelines for the school program. I do not see either gym class or recess in it"
"But that doesn't mean it shouldn't be," Enya countered. "They knew back then that kids needed a break from work and we're still kids today." She put her elbows on her desk and her chin on her hands. "Don't you think it makes sense that I would do better if I had recess or gym?"
"We have evolved, Miss O'Flannagain," Mr. Wallace continued. "It is no longer a part of a daily school schedule."
"Can't you ask my parents," Enya said with a sigh. "It isn't like it would take up the whole day. Just like once a week maybe." She knew there was no sense in giving him a sad look he was a hologram he wouldn't care. "I could use the exercise."
“Wouldn’t an exercise program suffice?” Mr. Wallace asked her.
“What does that mean?” Enya frowned at him. “Suffice?”
“It means wouldn’t it do the same thing?” The hologram explained in a monotone voice.
“No,” Enya shook her head. “It wouldn’t give me a chance to play with other kids. In a program with recess, there would be kids to slide with and stuff.” She wondered if he got what she was saying. “It May not make sense but kids need to spend time with each other.”
“You need the interaction,” Mr. Wallace replies after a moment. “To learn life skills not taught in a textbook.”
Enya blinked. “Yeah I think you said what I been trying to tell you.” She smiled. “So will you talk to them?”
Mr. Wallace seemed to consider it for a moment. There were times when Enya almost thought he was kind of real instead of a hologram. “Tell your father or mother that I wish to speak with them about this addition to your school time.”
“Make sure you tell them the good stuff,” Enya continued. “How it’s good for me to get the exercise and to play with other kids.”
“It will aid in your mental and physical growth,” Mr. Wallace returned.
“Yeah,” Enya nodded. “That sounds better. Use big words that don’t sound like they came from me.” She wasn’t certain which parent she wanted to send his way but it would more than likely be her father. She loved her Mom but she would say no faster than her Dad. “I will see if my Dad can talk to you tonight after we eat.”
“That sounds good, Miss O’Flannagain,” the holographic teacher said.
Enya smiled then. She hoped her Mom and Dad would agree with it. She wasn’t trying to get out of school just to have a break in her day. Some days it felt like it never ended.
“Well, I better get back to my paper,” Enya said with a smile. “I don’t have a lot of time to finish it and I don’t want to have any homework tonight.” She wanted to spend time with her parents and maybe watch a movie or something.
Enya watched Mr. Wallace as he stood off, waiting for her to finish up for the day. She knew he was just a hologram but to her he was a teacher. Sometimes it felt weird that he didn’t know what it was like to have a family or to watch a movie. She giggled to herself thinking her whole throught process was kind of dumb. He was a hologram he didn’t have feelings nor cared.
“Miss O’Flannagain!”
“I know, I know,” Enya grinned. “Back to my schoolwork, no daydreaming!”
With that she finished up her day.
A post by;
Enya Ó Flannagáin
Child, USS Pioneer
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