I Am a Pretty Quiet Person, Until You Get to Know Me
If the above statement is true about me, then why in grammar school did I mind my own business (like I was taught to at home) and get accused for something that was done to another kid or kids? Then in high school, I was more or less a "teacher's pet" and if the student or students weren't my friend, they silently hated me anyway?
Most of you know of my trials and tribulations in the first grade. It didn't much get better as I was duly promoted. The teachers liked me, from second through third. That's when the roof caved in.
I was one of those kids who was promoted from third to fifth without having to go to fourth. I enjoyed that for the first week. Then the witch I had for fifth grade was a real terror. At least once a week, I was treated to the broken record of, "How you got to the fifth grade, I'll NEVER know!"
Oh, how many times I wanted to tell the old bat, "By double promotion." But something told me in the back of my mind, "Don't attack! Let it go. It'll blow over."
Anyway, our class was included in a school field trip to go to the WGN-TV studio to be LIVE on "Bozo's Circus." I was still pretty much of a kid at the time (not quite ten) and I was excited - until Mrs. Kathleen Killeen (we called her "Killer Killeen) picked up a list from her desk.
"These students are allowed to attend the broadcast," she announced. "I have here the names of the students who were caught talking in class." She resumed, giving the name of one student who was NEVER a talker. Then came MY name, saying after it, "One time..."
I quit listening. My eyes filled. That wasn't FAIR. The one time I was "caught talking" was when the kid behind me said something and I didn't hear it.I turned and said, "What?"
For one lousy word, I was accused of talking once out of turn. The unjust accusation sort of spoiled the trip up to Bradley Place. But it was a wonderful day to be on TV, and I felt kind of redeemed when Bozo (Bob Bell) grabbed the hand of the girl from my room just ahead of me in line. He ran his finger over the cheap gumball machine ring she was wearing.
"You're engaged, huh?" he asked innocently.
That made Marilyn laugh - and me, too. The accusation of this morning was gone. Just never fully forgotten.
Most of you know of my trials and tribulations in the first grade. It didn't much get better as I was duly promoted. The teachers liked me, from second through third. That's when the roof caved in.
I was one of those kids who was promoted from third to fifth without having to go to fourth. I enjoyed that for the first week. Then the witch I had for fifth grade was a real terror. At least once a week, I was treated to the broken record of, "How you got to the fifth grade, I'll NEVER know!"
Oh, how many times I wanted to tell the old bat, "By double promotion." But something told me in the back of my mind, "Don't attack! Let it go. It'll blow over."
Anyway, our class was included in a school field trip to go to the WGN-TV studio to be LIVE on "Bozo's Circus." I was still pretty much of a kid at the time (not quite ten) and I was excited - until Mrs. Kathleen Killeen (we called her "Killer Killeen) picked up a list from her desk.
"These students are allowed to attend the broadcast," she announced. "I have here the names of the students who were caught talking in class." She resumed, giving the name of one student who was NEVER a talker. Then came MY name, saying after it, "One time..."
I quit listening. My eyes filled. That wasn't FAIR. The one time I was "caught talking" was when the kid behind me said something and I didn't hear it.I turned and said, "What?"
For one lousy word, I was accused of talking once out of turn. The unjust accusation sort of spoiled the trip up to Bradley Place. But it was a wonderful day to be on TV, and I felt kind of redeemed when Bozo (Bob Bell) grabbed the hand of the girl from my room just ahead of me in line. He ran his finger over the cheap gumball machine ring she was wearing.
"You're engaged, huh?" he asked innocently.
That made Marilyn laugh - and me, too. The accusation of this morning was gone. Just never fully forgotten.
61-69, F
