RUBBER- BANDS

"Hey, Teach, I know the answer!" calls a kid who is waving his hand.

"Anyone else?" The teacher looks around the classroom, uneasily. "Teach" doesn't like the collection of colorful rubber-band bracelets, or the thumbs up grin the kid is giving to the other boys and girls, who are also bedecked with rubber-bands around their wrists.

(Teachers have been told, already, in more than three states, the "Silly-Bandz," the new fashion craze for kids, cannot be worn in the classroom.)

But Teach herself, is wearing Jennifer Anniston's hair style, and pooched-out, lipsticked lips, ala Angelina Jolie. Her hair and lips style isn't hot hot, but it's very NOW. Also, her skirt -- middle of the thigh short and tight -- is definitely in vogue. Teach is also wearing pumps with the very latest six-inch high-heels.

And Teach knows that fashion is merely fashion. It isn't a craze, is it?

The kids note what Teach is wearing, and think she's cool. Their parents, and older siblings, relatives, neighbors -- all grown-ups do stuff, have stuff they do like everyone else -- iPhones, sketcher shoes, old hula hoops, new exercise gizmo getting dusty in the closet. Atari games, books, Polaroid cameras, the family car -- weren't SUV'S a craze, like Viagra?

C'mon, what's wrong with rubber-bands? 5 bucks will buy a you 24. They're harmless. Hey, high-heels -- Teach is going to get bunions. A wrist, even with 96 bands -- you're not cutting off circulation -- bandz snap back into shape -- heart shapes, gears, reptiles, dog-bones, frogs, guns, stars, dragons, dinosaurs -- you trade 'em, every day you check out who's got something new.

It's a nice hobby like a stamp collection. And gee, everyone knows the more you forbid something, the more it's desired.

Hey, maybe ... if we keep on forbidding the bandz, then kids can have a secret craze that'll last longer. It'll keep them safer than yet another craze like mephedrone plant food, or a ... a ... militia, a kids' militia, with rubber-bands turned into sling shots. That could get dangerous!

I think we need fads -- we need crazes. It's part of growing up, becoming mature.

Remember the days, early nineties, when thumbs up or down became the cool way to say yes or no? I thought it was dumb -- something I'd never do.

I say, thumbs UP on rubber-band bracelets.