Tennessee HS Senior Class Arrives on Last Day in ‘Anything But a Car’ [VIDEO]
George Jones would be proud. One of country music's best stories revolves around the late country music icon and a riding lawnmower.
MAYBE GEORGE JONES SET THE STAGE FOR 'ANYTHING BUT A CAR' DAY
Long before he came to Nashville and long before he got sober for good, Jones was still living in southeast Texas. One day, he found himself in need of transportation to the liquor store but had no way to get there; his frustrated second wife, Shirley Corley--exasperated with his long stretches of drunkenness--hid all the car keys, leaving the country legend with a riding mower as the only way to get into town. So that's what he drove.
The Possum, as he was well-known, would be pretty pleased about what happened in Linden, Tennessee recently. The small town, about 90 minutes southeast of Nashville, has landed on the viral map after seniors at Perry County High School arrived on their last day in "anything but a car." I've experienced "Senior Day"--an unsanctioned "day off" that we all nonetheless enjoyed--but this takes the cake...and, well, the car keys.
FORGET 'SENIOR DAY' -- I'LL TAKE 'ANYTHING BUT A CAR' DAY ANYDAY
My heart goes out to those who either didn't get the memo or didn't have anything else they could drive to school. And I love that the "parade" was led by a student on horseback.
SOME STUDENTS GET VERY CREATIVE ON 'ANYTHING BUT A CAR' DAY
But, apparently, this isn't anything unheard of (except by me). And it seems students who have participated in this kind of event before don't pull any punches based on this comment by Jacoda Gray:
My high school does this every year for the seniors last day. There was a senior a couple grades above me that had rented a helicopter and flown it to school since she had her pilots license. Pretty crazy.
Well, of course, I love that. How awesome to have an opportunity to FLY to school. Still, I think THIS story from Loretta Wudel is my favorite:
A friend’s high school did that. And at the time he graduated it was a rural high school. And half the kids came on horseback. An old county school district law, that was never changed, stated that school staff must care for the horses during the day. Given that in the early 2000s there were no stable hands on staff anymore the teachers had to do it. So classes were all but canceled that day.
But with every fun story like these, it seems a little rain must fall, something to which Taylor Mullenix can attest:
My old high school did this and the kids all got tickets for it… sad.
AND THEN THERE'S 'ANYTHING BUT A BACKPACK' DAY
I'm glad Burton Staggs posted this video because I haven't found another of its kind anywhere on YouTube, but I found several examples of something similar. There ALSO seems to be something called "Anything but a Backpack" day, giving students another way to be exceptionally creative.
Clever, yes, but there is NO way I'm dragging a canoe or a washing machine around all day. I'll stick with a backpack, thank you.
But "Anything but a Car" Day? THAT has my full support.