I walked into the class room to find all the others quietly working on papers.   I sat at my desk, looked around, and decided to just get on with folding the laundry.

The teacher came in and announced that we only had 5 more minutes to finish the exam.   Then we would have a short break before the next exam was to start.

Crap!   I was supposed to be taking an exam!   How did I manage to forget that one?   I went up to the teacher's desk and grabbed an exam booklet.   Even with only 5 minutes to go, I figured I could at least do enough to prevent myself from getting a big fat zero.   And if it were multiple choice, maybe sheer chance would give me a break.

The exam booklet was filled with pictures, photos, and drawings and ramdomly placed words in foreign languages.   On one page there was a artist's drawing of a horse head, a picture of a man, and a vegetable.   The word "Cheval" was also on the page.   Was this a French language exam?

I failed to find instructions for the exam and ran up to ask the teacher.   She replied, "You need to work with your divining herb to solve the questions."   "My what?", I responded, and then was informed I needed to get a piece of divining herb.   Without it, it would be impossible to do the exam.   Kindly, she gave me extra time for the exam.

I remembered that earlier in the day, or maybe it was another day, the teacher and I had been outside talking, while sitting next to a hedge of rosemary.   Could a sprig of rosemary act as a divining herb?   I asked and was informed that any herb would do, including rosemary.   So off I went to get my divining herb.

It's a big High School and the rosemary hedge was on the opposite side of the school.   Spying the local neighborhood just across the road, it dawned on me that other herb hedges would likely be closer.

However, walking in this little New Jersey suburban neighborhood, I failed to find any herbs.   Soon I reached the Mississippi River and a bridge crossing over to Chicago.     While walking in the Chicago suburbs, I saw a couple of lobsters skuttle under a front porch while a young boy chased them.   His mother, in turn, was chasing the young boy.   In their front lawn was an old lavendar plant, full of woody branches and fresh growth.   It was in flower and smelled lovely.

Still worried about the exam, tired from my walk, and desparate to get a piece of divining herb, I broke off a small piece of the lavendar while the mother chased the boy chasing the lobsters and I headed back to New Jersey across a different bridge.

While walking, the sprig of lavendar grew into a woody branch with a 3 inch diameter.   New growth was playing with the fingers of the hand I was carrying it in.   Tendrils were playing with the sleeve of my shirt.

I snapped at the herb, insisting it behave itself.   And for the rest of the walk back to the High School, it did.

Once back in the classroom, it suddenly dawned on me!   I don't need to take exams!   I already graduated.   And the one class I came back to take as an adult, had nothing to do with needing divining herbs.   I didn't have anything to do with this class nor this exam.

Rather pleased with myself, I grabbed my laundry basket, and left the classroom.