Chapter Three - Lockers, Strategy, and the Potato Incident

CHAPTER THREE

Lockers, Strategy, and the Potato Incident

“TRAVEL LIGHT. TRAVEL efficient. Lockers.”

Here’s the thing about lockers: they’re not mandatory.
They’re not magical.
They’re just… metal boxes.

In theory, lockers are supposed to make your day easier, they give you a place to stash your books, lunch, gym bag, and deeply unnecessary seventh spiral notebook. But in practice? They’re a strategic puzzle. Because at a lot of schools, including mine, you don’t have a luxurious ten-minute stroll between classes. You get, like, four minutes. Maybe five if your teacher forgets to take attendance. And when you're on one side of the building and your next class is on the other? That’s a sprint, not a stroll.

So locker runs have to be planned. You develop a rhythm. What do you need now? What can wait till after lunch? When can you make a pit stop without being late? It’s all about efficiency. Within two weeks, I had it mapped out like a heist. Grab these books in the morning. Drop them off before fourth period. Don’t even think about stopping by sixth. It’s too far. You'll never make it.

Eventually, I stopped using my locker altogether.
It was faster just to carry everything.
Was it good for my spine? Not exactly.
Was it a bonus workout? Absolutely.

There’s something kind of freeing about carrying your life on your back. You learn to pack light, only what you need. The lighter you travel, the clearer your day feels. Lockers? Helpful. But not essential. Think of them as a tool, not a crutch. And whatever you do, don’t stress about the lock. I never even bothered putting one on. What’s in there, state secrets? A moldy sandwich? Probably fine.

Some people love their lockers.
They decorate them with mirrors, photos, magnets, and entire art exhibits.
And honestly? That’s awesome. More power to them.
But me? I was more of a wanderer.

Now, about the potato.

On my birthday, a friend gave me a potato. Just one. No explanation. I thought it was funny. I put it in my locker. I didn’t go back for a while. Weeks passed. The potato… changed. It started growing something. Sprouts. Shoots. Maybe a soul. I left it alone. By the end of the year, that locker had become a small, self-sustaining ecosystem. Probably not my proudest moment, but hey, nature’s powerful.

So yeah. Lockers.
Use them if they help.
Ignore them if they don’t.
And maybe don’t store root vegetables in them long-term.