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I walked to the Junior High in Nevada. It was a large brick building at the Central School complex. It had 3 stories, big wide steps between floors, no A/C and plenty of heat. Let's talk about those big wide steps and mini-skirts. Any one who ever wore a mini skirt knows how hard it is to keep prying eyes out of your business! The girls wore really ugly and really uncomfortable Gym suits. Our parents actually had to buy these hideous things for us.
I always got good grades, scored high on the Iowa Basic skills tests, in fact one year I beat out the George twins and got the $25 savings bond for girls from Donnelly's. Why would they separate the boys from the girls in this case? Why not just take the top 2 students? It was a different age. Anyway, John Rebers was a genius. However, this truth that I am about to confess cannot be denied, I was a terrible student. I did not apply myself. If it wasn't for my excellent memory, my ability to read quickly and ability to grasp the concepts easily, I am sure I would have failed, for believe me, I never carried a book home with me from school. Homework? No, I don't think so. My lack of study skills and work ethic have definitely shaped my life. I did not go to college and I would not have done well unless I changed my slothful ways.
I loved to read and always had a book with me. Fiction-teenage love stories, historical novels, or science fiction mostly. I used to take my book into class and read while the teacher was talking. I guess I usually was pretty good at multi tasking. I paid enough attention to be able to answer questions or follow instructions. However, one day I was in Geometry class. What was his name? Was it Burham, Burnister, something like that. I used to remember. That was 50 years ago, what do you expect? Anyway, I remember that I was reading a book, a teenage romance and I came upon a passage that read; It is better to urp a burp and bear the shame than squelch a belch and die of pain. I started laughing and could not stop. The teacher was one of those guys that thought it was ok to thump people on the head and my head definitely got a thumping.
I never really got in any trouble at school. I was quiet, followed most of the rules, minded my own business, answered questions when asked. In 7th grade I went to Junior High without my siblings. In 8th grade, Steve started 7th. When I went to 9th grade I had both of them with me. I believe my only and best strategy was to ignore them. Pretty much worked all the time.
I was in the Junior High School Chorus. In 9th grade, our choir teacher was Mr. Philips. We thought he was cool. I am not sure he deserved that accolade.
My 8th grade algebra teacher was Mr. McClain. Nate McClain. He was ex-marine, always making the boys drop and do push ups in the aisles. Another male teacher with wrong ideas about girls personal space. Not criminal, just creepy. He lived in Maxwell, the town my mom came from. I found out many years later that he committed suicide. Who knows what demons he faced but I never really felt sorry about it.
We had a school counselor. I do not remember why I was in his office but he was another male who had boundary issues. Do you say to Junior High Girls "you just can't help being sexy". Really, I did not picture myself in anyway sexy or asking for these kinds of comments. Another creep. I can't remember his name and I am sure I never visited his office again. I didn't tell anyone either. Who would I tell?
There was a girl that always talked to me about her family. She would tell me the saddest stories and I just listened. I remember sitting on the top of the bleachers with her, listening, wondering. I can not remember her name and I still wonder what happened to her. Were her stories true or fantasy? Listening to her sad tales always kept my own in perspective.
One of our class mates got pregnant. Shocking? Uncommon? No. Every year until we graduated we lost another one. You know they always kicked the girls out of school. Finally when I was in high school, they stopped kicking them out of school and let them graduate, married or not married.
In Junior High the girls took Home Economics and the boys took Shop. No choices back in the late 60's. I learned to sew. I already knew how to cook but I did learn that you didn't have to buy a box of cake mix at the store! I have to admit that my mom helped me make my home project, a nightgown with a collar and gathered puffy shoulders. That was a crazy project for a beginner to take on. The sewing lessons from school and Mom resulted in me being able to make a lot of my clothes before I came to Milwaukee to go to school.
We walked to school. It was not that far, it was not uphill, but it was cold in the winter and we were not allowed to wear pants to school. Oh, we could wear them under our skirts, but that was decidedly NOT cool. Knee socks were in style so the only part of my legs that really suffered were my knees and my thighs( remember the skirts were short). One day I got to school and I was going in the side door. The step was pure ice and the door was heavy. I pulled the door and I landed on my back, spread-eagled on the ice. I don't think anyone saw me. Please I hope no one saw me.
I had a crush on a boy or at least the idea of a boy. Andy, oh what a lovely strawberry blonde young drummer in the Junior High band. He was a year older. Never talked to him, never met him, never want to. That was not my first crush, nor was it my last. In 2nd grade a boy gave me a ring. I lost it and I seemed to have lost any memory of who he was or what his name was. It is hard for real people to live up to the fairy tales we hear when we are young or the fairy tales we tell ourselves when we are older. When I was 13
I had a crush on Davy Jones from the Monkeys. I had a crush on Stan, I had a crush on someone every time I turned around. I never dated a boy I had a crush on. I only dated boys who actually asked me out but that was NOT in Junior High because my mom said NO.
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