[...]
Oh, all right, dear, but do turn the radio off so you can get something done.
Oh, it's okay, Mom. The radio doesn't bother me at all.
Why, Jean, you haven't done your...
Why was just taking a break, Mom?
It's like this every night, Jean. You fiddle-battle your time away.
It's a wonder to me you ever get anything done, always putting
things off until the last minute.
Oh, I do get things done, though, don't I?
Just by the skin of your teeth and with all of us helping.
Now, get to work. I'll expect to see all this homework finished by 9.30.
All right, Mom.
Hi, Jean. Hi, Marge.
Finish all your homework?
No, not quite. I'll finish it during first-hour history class.
Miss Jones will just think I'm taking notes.
But, Jean, there were only ten words to define. I finished mine in practical...
Say, Marge, didn't Mr. Brown say he'd post a list
of new class officers this morning?
I think so. We voted yesterday morning, so they should be ready by today.
Gee, I wish I knew who was elected. Wish that bus would hurry.
Miss Jones.
Yeah, I [...] like to speak to you.
[...] Hi, guys.
[...]
Come on.
[...] Mr. Brown.
Good morning, Miss Jones.
Morning, girl.
[...]
That means I'm in charge of the bus.
[...] go on, kid. Go on.
Golly, Marge, I'm sorry you didn't get elected.
Oh, that's all right. Jean will make a good social chairman.
She's got lots of good ideas.
Yeah, but she never sees things through.
She was chairman of the class assembly last year,
and it was one of the best we ever had.
Sure, I remember. We did everything at the last minute.
Just the same. It was good.
That was just luck.
Besides, we're all so mad we did everything we could think of to make it good.
Marge, didn't any of you girls ever tell Jean about promising so much and then
waiting until the last minute to get started?
Oh, yes. We told her.
She said it was a good idea and then went right on doing what she always does.
What a girl.
Here are the plans for the decorations.
They're real simple and will only need the gym the night before the party.
In fact, if we start to decorate at 6. 30 sharp, we'll be all through by 8.30.
See, she's really on the ball this time.
You just wait. We still have a whole month to go.
I have a list of all the gray paper and stuff we need.
I'll bring them the night we decorate.
Uh-oh. Here it comes.
Look, Jean, this decoration stuff is simple enough, but there's more
to it than just talking about it.
Maybe you ought to point some committees to help.
Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.
I'm not reserving the gym.
I thought about refreshments. We'll need to heat.
Yeah, we'll do fine. We'll do fine.
We'll do fine. We'll do fine.
Jim, you're in charge of getting wire for decorations, okay?
Okay.
Marge, will you point a committee and make
the invitations and programs for the dance?
And Frank, you'll be business manager in silver tickets.
Aww.
Let's see. Decorations.
I'd like to shop for the crepe paper myself.
I know just the colors I want.
And in the morning, I'll see Mr. Brown about the gym.
And tonight, I'll make a list of the
refreshments the committee is to arrange for.
But Jean, that's still too much for you to do by yourself.
Why don't you appoint some more people to help you?
Oh, don't worry, Marge. There's no hurry. I'll get it done.
I move we adjourn to the drugstore.
Come on, Jim.
I'll see you later.
Bye, Jim. See you later.
Oh, Mr. Brown. I was just coming to see you.
And I was just coming to see you, Jean.
I wanted to see you about getting the gym for Friday
night and Saturday, the day of our party.
Well, Jean, you should have seen me about that some time ago.
You mean we can't have it?
Well, fortunately for you, Jim saw me about it a few days ago, so I
did reserve the gym for the class.
But as chairman of that committee, Jean, you should have seen me about that
reservation at least a month ago.
I'm sorry, Mr. Brown, but, Jean, with all the tests and
everything, I just didn't have time to.
Well, I hope you aren't putting off many more of your responsibilities
because you haven't much time left.
Oh, yes, sir. I know that.
I'm going downtown right after school tonight and get the decorations and...
Jean, did you ever try making a list like this of the things you have to do and
the time you have to do them in and then try sticking with the list?
Oh, sure, Mr. Brown. That's a good idea.
Well, thanks for reserving the gym for us. I've got to go now. Bye.
Goodbye.
Hi, Alice. Say, I've got the gerundious new record I want you to hear.
Come on over after school and we'll play it.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Hill, but I just don't know what Jean has
done about refreshments for the party.
You know, Mrs. Nelson, I work during the day, and I would like to know what
Martha has to bring so that I can prepare it the evening
before and get it out of the way.
I understand, Mrs. Hill, and I'll talk to Jean and have her get in touch with you
this evening. Thanks for calling.
Jean, come here a moment, please.
Later, Mom. I'm supposed to meet the kids in a few minutes.
Jean.
But, Mom...
Jean.
All right. I'm coming.
What do you want, Mom?
Jean, Mrs. Hill just called, and she said that you told Martha that she was to
bring part of the refreshments for the party.
Well, sure. All of the kids are supposed to bring something.
But what are they to bring? They don't know.
Well, golly. This is only Thursday, Mom, and the party isn't until Saturday.
Jean, you be sure and call Mrs. Hill today and let her know what
Martha is to bring to the party.
Okay. Oh, and Mom, for it's for Miss Simmons, and it's the last day.
I can't go until tomorrow, Jean. I'm having book club here this afternoon, but if
it's just odds and ends...
Jean Nelson. This is terrible. You couldn't possibly get
all these things in one afternoon.
But, Jean, Mom, we've got to decorate tomorrow night.
Oh, well, I guess I have to see if I can go myself tonight before the stores
close, or tomorrow before we decorate.
Jean, I just can't understand you. Why do you always put off
everything till the last minute?
Well, I couldn't help it, Mom. There are just so many things to do, and...
Oh, there's Marge. Bye now. Don't worry. I'll get everything done.
I'll take care of everything, Jean said. At the time, she really meant it.
But when she tried to call Martha's mother about the cookies, the line was busy.
And when she tried to get to town that afternoon, there were some other things
she needed, and the stores closed before she could
buy the materials for the decorations.
Anyway, there's still tomorrow. She'll have to work hard, skip some other things
she ought to do, but Jean works well under pressure. Yes, there's still tomorrow.
And the hints the others gave her? Marge. Advising her to assign some of the work
to a committee, and not try to do so much herself.
Mr. Brown, suggesting she make a list of the things she had to do, and
the time she had to do them in.
Jim, wanting her to get the job started weeks ahead while she still
had time to get it finished.
Yes, Jean had plenty of hints on how to get things
done, and she had good intentions.
But something always happened to keep her from making use of their advice.
So Jean was polishing her nails. They'll look nice for the party tomorrow.
Yeah, I could be more...
She'll be here to care. She'll be out here.
I told you so. I told you to be like this.
Jim, there's no use getting upset about it. Well, my
mother's upset, and I don't blame her.
Jean didn't tell me till today what I was supposed to bring for refreshment.
And now Mom has to stay home from work and make cookies.
Yeah, we almost didn't get the jam either. Did you hear about that one?
[...]
Now listen, this won't help. There's still time to make this a good party.
Jean will be here in a few minutes with the decorations in it.
Well, she's 15 minutes late already. Oh, what a chairman.
Here, let me help you.
Gosh, that doesn't look like much crepe paper.
Well, it isn't exactly what I had in mind, but...
What do you mean it isn't exactly what you had in mind?
Now wait a minute, Jim.
I have been waiting. We've all been waiting for two months.
Why don't you have enough crepe paper?
And why didn't you tell the kids about the refreshments?
And why did you wait until the last minute to reserve the jam?
I've been so busy, I...
Busy my foot. You just put it off like you always do.
Jim, blaming Jean isn't going to help now.
I know, but I'm going to tell Jean something she should
have been told a long time ago.
Listen, Jean, it's okay with me if you get your homework in at the last minute.
That's your business.
But when you ruin the whole class party just because you keep putting
things off, none of us like it.
Let me tell you something else.
Well, that's Jean's story. Always putting things off.
Procrastination, it's called.
Can you see how procrastination affected Jean?
Her friends? Their party?
How could Jean manage her time better?
Remember the hints some of the others gave her?
Could you use them to good advantage?
Did Jean? What do you think?