What Do You Know About School Days?

For a few months now we've been receiving AARP bulletins in our mailbox for someone who, as far as I know, doesn't exist--at least not at our home address. Each month I mark through the man's name and write: "No such person at this address." Then I mail the bulletin back to AARP, hoping the man will eventually get his bulletin. About a week or so later the bulletin shows up again in my mailbox with my writing on the front page. Frustrating!

Guess AARP has unlimited postage funds, or maybe they're inflating their subscription numbers by mailing bulletins to solid addresses but to people who don't really exist. Who knows? Anyway, before tossing this month's boomeranging bulletin I browsed through it and found a call for submissions.

In the "In The Know" section, under YOUR TURN! the editors are looking for essays about "What you really know about school days."

I know some of my readers are or have been teachers, and we've all been to school, so it sounds perfect for you all! If you want to see you name in print in a national magazine (don't know if it pays), e-mail an essay of up to 400 words to whatiknow@aarp.org or mail it to "What I Really Know," AARP Bulletin, 601 E. St., N.S., Washington, DC 20049. Be sure to include your name, phone number and e-mail address.

I couldn't find a deadline anywhere on the copy; just contact the editors to find out if there is one. Of course, if the editors are as inefficient as the folks who mail out the AARP bulletins, you might never get an answer, or you answer will be sent to someone else.