Memories of first day of school, semi-country style, 1950
A new school year, two new pair of bib overalls, two new flannel shirts, new socks, and possibly a new pair of footwear; excitement in the air! The first day of school and only a half day just to get us registered, seat assignment, and a checklist of school supplies. 8th grade for me and will be my last school year upstairs in this building–K through 4th grade downstairs and 5th through 8th grade upstairs; one teacher each floor.
We always have recess and almost always outside play each morning and afternoon. No exception this first day of school! We are playing softball workup with two batters at a time and each out the losing batter takes right field and everyone moves one position closer to batter! I am catching at the time of the incident, usually the batter waits for the runner to steal to 3rd base before swinging at a pitch helping assure the batting team continues as a force. The pitch is on the way, the runner is stealing third and I step up to reach for the ball early to ‘throw this runner out! This time my best friend and strong farm lad decides to swing and hits me in the back of the head! Hmmm…….When I open my eyes the upstairs teacher is hovering over me and talking, the rest of the school is gathered round and apparently I have been unconscious for some time. To move is extreme pain. Focus is difficult. I don’t move well.
Somehow I am upstairs sitting in a front row desk with cold cloths around my neck and head leaning back trying to stay quiet, every move is sledge hammer pain. Have I mentioned we have four students in my class? Two boys, myself and the hitter; and two girls–really big class?
Start of school every year finds ourselves in the middle to end of harvest and my Dad and my older brother (excused from high school start for work) were out in the field knee deep in harvest but my older brother had become really sick so when I returned via one of the surrounding parents turn to drive school kids, there is Dad and my older brother and I am nominated to take his place shoveling grain at the threshing machine and later in the top of the granary pushing grain to the corners to get maximum volume in the structure–dust and heat!
Mom wraps my head in a white dish cloth to keep the dust away from my head cut and Dad hurries me to the car for the trip back to the active field. We arrive and park near the yard buildings and he tells me to hurry, the crew is waiting and needs me now and then he is gone to get his horses and wagon and start loading shocks of grain. I am excited about my new job! I start off at a run and my head literally explodes, I tiptoe the rest of the way and take up my grain wagon station, every shovel is a new attack on my aching head. Now it is time to take the wagon to the granary and transfer the grain and I get my new assignment to spend the rest of the day high in the structure pushing grain to the corners! Dust and Heat.
The good news is I am offered a job for the rest of the harvest, i guess I did good!