This summer’s heightened public interest in ticks, and the associated illnesses, was reflected by a recent article in the Vineyard Gazette.

There was a time when I couldn’t remember whether it was nilly-willy or willy-nilly.

I was inspired to write this after reading the letter submitted by Abigail Higgins of West Tisbury to the Vineyard Gazette and the Martha’s Vineyard Commission.

The bell rang, chairs scraped, and two students — last names close in the alphabet: Tom Dresser, Joyce Cournoyer — slid into their usual seats. They had shared homeroom for four years, served together in student government, but never really knew each other.

It begins. Everyone starts marching in a straight line around the room to the beat of an old Chubby Checker recording, but our line soon becomes a doodle, then morphs into an interpretative dance.