“Keep an eye out,” I said to my friends, “they’re bound to show up somewhere.”

We were hiding behind a tree, much too small to hide the three of us, spending our 3rd grade recess like we did every day; trying to uncover the mystery of who was stealing our collection of acorns. Every day in the first half of recess, we would collect the acorns below the small portion of trees on the playground. We would always bring them to the same picnic table, and turn back to get more.

As a couple of months passed by during the school year, someone started taking the acorns that we placed on the picnic table, when we were returning back for more. It was always I mystery who the acorn-snatcher was. They would never leave a trail, and nobody gave off signs that they had something to do with the acorns going missing.

Time would pass very slowly while we were waiting, and every day my friends would all get very bored and restless, opposite of my feelings.

“Come on,” Sara would say, “it’s cold, and I’m bored here. I’m going to the monkey bars.” Sara would turn around and walk away, like she did every day.

Soon later, everyone was gone, and I was left on –

BRRRIIIIINNGG

Ugh, the lunch bell. And right when I’m about to crack the case!

Monday through Friday, every recess, I was devoted to figuring out the mystery of the stolen acorns. And every day the lunch bell would ring to say it was lunchtime, and I would have to run the test all over again.

One recess, on a cool spring day, the kind of day where you bring your coat outside, but never put it on, I decided to set up the test one last time.

I placed the acorns on the table, sat behind the usual tree, and waited. I was leaning against the tree, playing with the dirt, when I noticed a red jacket sweep by the corner of my eye.

“I don’t know who keeps putting these acorns here,” a woman said, while dumping the acorns into a bag, “but it’s got to stop!”

Mrs. Deyo.

Mrs. Deyo was a para-educator at the elementary school, and often monitored recess time, just not the section of the playground that we played at. She always hated a mess or anything out of place. The pieces all fell together.

“Hey,” I yelled, running out from behind the tree, “those are my acorns!”

I told her my continuous plotting to get the acorn-stealer, and how I spent every minute of every recess waiting for her to come by so I can close the trap on the person who was stealing my collection of acorns.

“Oh,” she said as she handed me the bag, “play nice, then.”

Ever since 3rd grade recess, I have always invested in problem solving. Whether it be the cases on CSI, or something as simple as something going missing, I have always been on top of it. I think that the acorn experience provided me skill and –

BRRIIINNGG

Oh, lunch time.