A
Anonymous
Guest
If you had seen Norma Jean back in 1956, you would have thought she was sickly and under nourished for she had legs that was skinny, knot kneed and really she was funny looking. but, she turned out to be a very special lady, one day!
1956
Having left the farm and moving into town, going from a small country school to where each grade had it's own classroom was something beyond me! Why, they even had gas heatrers for the winter and did not have to stoak the wood stove for heat. Smith, elemantary was a new school put out by a new tax on the taxpayers for just a short time, untill the bonds had been payed off. It was my 5th grade year when we moved to town, from the farm and a eye opening expirence.
Dad and Mom, had bought a 2 bedroom small frame home in a brand new spanking sub division close to the new elemantery school. The house had a bath and 2 bedrooms, no hall, for it was modern. sister and I slept in one bedroom on different beds and Dad and Mom took the smaller bedroom.
The back yard was the biggest yard in the neighborhood and here is where many sandlot baseball games were played! It was on a corner lot and had lots and lots of other kids my age or older, younger, living close by.
Why, this house even had a attic fan for cooling in the hot Arkansas summers. Many, nights I layed and as the wind blew thru my window, raised my sheet to catch this wind and made my own tent.
Each school day was something different and one of the things that caught my eye was the junior pa
trol who dirrected traffic both before school and after school let out for the day. I would stand at my intersecttion and watch for an hour as these upper classmen directed traffic.
Now, to be on the junior patrol, one had to put his name in the cap for the following year as I was told by my graduating 6th grade class members. so, one day before the end of my 5th year of school, I shyly made my way to the school's principal's office to do so. She was a "LADY", spoke to everybody the same. Rich or poor made no difference to this lady, she was a professional educator.
Right, before the school year ended in 1956 the names were drawn for the next year's junior patrol and my name came up right at last. I was in the "IN" crowd and just a country hick! Each day right before school let out for the day the next year's patrol got to go with the upper classman and observe what to do for the upcoming year. I liked this for it got me out of 5th grade english class which I thought was a big waste of time.
the last day of the school year of 1956 the upper classmen put us all new patrol members for the next year on each different intersections so they could see our mistakes we did! I made many mistakes that afternoon but saw a very skinny girl who was in the 6th grade , hanging close by and admiring my work directing traffic. She, leaned up aganist the big old Gum tree and said not one word, she just smiled everytime I looked her way. She, was from the richy side of town by the main highway. They, lived in a home that had been handed down thru centuries and were very well to do by my standards, being a country boy!
Sandlot baseball games came nearly every day or the day after at my backyard that summer of 1956 and sometimes we were short a few players and had to play a game of "Workup"......but, on the weekends, the yard was full and we had to choose sides. Captains, were determined by the most popular as all things go by and stood galantly as they chose members to be on thier team. I allways feared of being chose last of the day, but never was.
One day late into summer, Norma Jean and a couple of her friends came over to the yard from several blocks away to watch but became players for we were short handed a few players . Most girls cannot do squat in a game of sandlot baseball but take up space but not Norma Jean...............
for after that day everyone wanted her on their team. She could be a first baseman and strecth those long legs out and nearly reach the pitcher's mound with those long arms of hers and field a baseball better than most guys and kept her mouth shut when she made a goood play. Norma Jean that summer of 1956, was a keeper,and she had the eyes for a country bumbkin that did not know what was what!
1957, saw Norma Jean in a different school than the one ,her boyfriend was in but she kept up the note campaign with out abandone. She was now in high school where the 7th --thru the 12th grades went in one big 3 story building! She wrote daily of silly things of poppy tailed blue birds and mushy stuff. She wrote of watching me as a new recruit for the junior patrol and of waters flowing over rocks n the crick, the sounds it makes and.......I thought this stuff was hogwash and ignored her.
Every Saturday during the school year of 1957, was a matineee at the local movie house just for the school kids. Now, anyone who thought thier stuff did not stink went there on Saturday's. With a date or not. I DID NOT have the 25 cents to go and stayed home.
One Saturday the phone rang and it was Norma Jean asking me out on a genuine date. It seemd like that "ANNIE OAKLEY" with coleman milk was going to be in town at the local movie house and give a show with Johne Wayne playing in the Settlers! Annie Oakley, was also going to do some skits before and after the movie, with her pearl handled 6-shooters.
Now no one in his right mind is going to turn down a chance to go see ANNIE OAKLEY twill them 6-shooters around and prance around in her short leather skirt, no sir yeee ! I acepted the date and said I would meet her outside the movie house. No, she said, but that her Mother was going to drive us and come get us.........I WAS UPTOWN PICKKING COTTEN.
here I had a upper classmen picking me up on a date and bringing me home in a car, when every one else would be walking!
to be cont'd
1956
Having left the farm and moving into town, going from a small country school to where each grade had it's own classroom was something beyond me! Why, they even had gas heatrers for the winter and did not have to stoak the wood stove for heat. Smith, elemantary was a new school put out by a new tax on the taxpayers for just a short time, untill the bonds had been payed off. It was my 5th grade year when we moved to town, from the farm and a eye opening expirence.
Dad and Mom, had bought a 2 bedroom small frame home in a brand new spanking sub division close to the new elemantery school. The house had a bath and 2 bedrooms, no hall, for it was modern. sister and I slept in one bedroom on different beds and Dad and Mom took the smaller bedroom.
The back yard was the biggest yard in the neighborhood and here is where many sandlot baseball games were played! It was on a corner lot and had lots and lots of other kids my age or older, younger, living close by.
Why, this house even had a attic fan for cooling in the hot Arkansas summers. Many, nights I layed and as the wind blew thru my window, raised my sheet to catch this wind and made my own tent.
Each school day was something different and one of the things that caught my eye was the junior pa
trol who dirrected traffic both before school and after school let out for the day. I would stand at my intersecttion and watch for an hour as these upper classmen directed traffic.
Now, to be on the junior patrol, one had to put his name in the cap for the following year as I was told by my graduating 6th grade class members. so, one day before the end of my 5th year of school, I shyly made my way to the school's principal's office to do so. She was a "LADY", spoke to everybody the same. Rich or poor made no difference to this lady, she was a professional educator.
Right, before the school year ended in 1956 the names were drawn for the next year's junior patrol and my name came up right at last. I was in the "IN" crowd and just a country hick! Each day right before school let out for the day the next year's patrol got to go with the upper classman and observe what to do for the upcoming year. I liked this for it got me out of 5th grade english class which I thought was a big waste of time.
the last day of the school year of 1956 the upper classmen put us all new patrol members for the next year on each different intersections so they could see our mistakes we did! I made many mistakes that afternoon but saw a very skinny girl who was in the 6th grade , hanging close by and admiring my work directing traffic. She, leaned up aganist the big old Gum tree and said not one word, she just smiled everytime I looked her way. She, was from the richy side of town by the main highway. They, lived in a home that had been handed down thru centuries and were very well to do by my standards, being a country boy!
Sandlot baseball games came nearly every day or the day after at my backyard that summer of 1956 and sometimes we were short a few players and had to play a game of "Workup"......but, on the weekends, the yard was full and we had to choose sides. Captains, were determined by the most popular as all things go by and stood galantly as they chose members to be on thier team. I allways feared of being chose last of the day, but never was.
One day late into summer, Norma Jean and a couple of her friends came over to the yard from several blocks away to watch but became players for we were short handed a few players . Most girls cannot do squat in a game of sandlot baseball but take up space but not Norma Jean...............
for after that day everyone wanted her on their team. She could be a first baseman and strecth those long legs out and nearly reach the pitcher's mound with those long arms of hers and field a baseball better than most guys and kept her mouth shut when she made a goood play. Norma Jean that summer of 1956, was a keeper,and she had the eyes for a country bumbkin that did not know what was what!
1957, saw Norma Jean in a different school than the one ,her boyfriend was in but she kept up the note campaign with out abandone. She was now in high school where the 7th --thru the 12th grades went in one big 3 story building! She wrote daily of silly things of poppy tailed blue birds and mushy stuff. She wrote of watching me as a new recruit for the junior patrol and of waters flowing over rocks n the crick, the sounds it makes and.......I thought this stuff was hogwash and ignored her.
Every Saturday during the school year of 1957, was a matineee at the local movie house just for the school kids. Now, anyone who thought thier stuff did not stink went there on Saturday's. With a date or not. I DID NOT have the 25 cents to go and stayed home.
One Saturday the phone rang and it was Norma Jean asking me out on a genuine date. It seemd like that "ANNIE OAKLEY" with coleman milk was going to be in town at the local movie house and give a show with Johne Wayne playing in the Settlers! Annie Oakley, was also going to do some skits before and after the movie, with her pearl handled 6-shooters.
Now no one in his right mind is going to turn down a chance to go see ANNIE OAKLEY twill them 6-shooters around and prance around in her short leather skirt, no sir yeee ! I acepted the date and said I would meet her outside the movie house. No, she said, but that her Mother was going to drive us and come get us.........I WAS UPTOWN PICKKING COTTEN.
here I had a upper classmen picking me up on a date and bringing me home in a car, when every one else would be walking!
to be cont'd
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