On Hooky

2022 Year of Aesthetics Series №28

For Those on the Seb-Sabbatical , Wanders of the Sahara, the Naked & Haloed, Players of Roland Pianos and the Players of Metaphysical Hooky, and the Exceptionally Facial Haired.

1. My conception of Hooky is that you are skipping out on something mandatory attendance, but is mandatory as a protocol more than a necessity.
2. Hooky should never be a lesser experience than what you are skipping. An example is ITT Campus is across the street from Chomsky Park. I had a terrible diffusion professor and a good text book . I probably sat more days in the stands than in that class, I got all I could out of the text, I had allies who let me know when announced quizzes were. I blame Pedro Martinez for at least two two day games that summer.
3. Hooky often requires good recki. (Or a 60 foot billboard for a Klimt/Schiele art show in the Vienna airport.)
4. It should be unannounced or justified in the eyes of the powers that be, if you sell it to your teacher or professor it is a sanction activity a field trip and not hooky.

Every year since 1988, I have intentionally played Hooky. Hooky started with skipping seventh period study hall with my best friend Jon to capture cubs games, he lived across the street from our high school. His mom would call us both back to back as sick so that we caught most day games our senior year. She was in no way subtle, so I feel that our hooky was in a way endorsed or at least tolerated by our high school.

In college, it is more of skipping and less rigorous, professors often care less, although I did have to defend seeing Van Halen to both my Greek and Thermo professor, after cutting class on a Friday for an Van Halen show in Minneapolis. Both professors forgave, but I don’t think they would have granted permission.

I have instilled in my kids that it is ok to miss a few of the first or last days of a school year to travel to Europe or China. Kids should know that school is important but there are one off grand opportunities that should be taken. I have pulled them out of school for a day for one of a kind art shows or musical performances (My wife is the sheriff so I do have limits on instilling the art of Hooky to my children, but someone has to corrupt the youth.)

Hooky has included Winnepeg (PEG still brings chortles and PTSD shivers to my friend Jon and I ) , YoYo Ma playing Bach Cello Suites, Klimt and Schiele in Vienna, Opera in Cagliari, many a bar in Philadelphia, many a matinee of movies I wanted to see on a slow day. I dated my wife by playing hooky from several team working dinners when in China.

I always feel like I am an amateur at Hooky. My friend Nancy told a story of a man who worked in there cabinet shop, a flannel shirt sort conservative type, who was always on time and did his work well, and quiet a wall flower. Then after several years of working for them he disappeared for a week, Nancy and her husband John, got a call from nearby Kansas City Hospital, saying that a young man said they would pay his bill and to let them know he was in the hospital. Upon going to see him he they found him yellow with jaundice from hepatitis, he had ran into a black woman at a jazz club in KC and went on a six day drug (including heroin), booze, music, sex, gluttony etc. binge-bender that had depleted his entire savings, before the young lady disapeared never to be seen again. Nancy asked, “Was it worth it?” He smiled, “ Yes every minute.” Then dozed off sleeping the sleep of angles. Nancy to her credit paid in full and never asked him to work it off. There are some who achieve mastery.

DISCLAIMER Ernest Boehm is completely self-patronized and will not incur any financial benefit from any Medium article, this is personal choice and he is not against for profit endeavors but does not want to make his writing for profit. He is not financially affiliated with any links included in this article.