| Biographical Non-Fiction posted March 24, 2024 |
  |
What a different time from then to now
Living in Country School Days
by Debi Pick Marquette
When I was little, we moved every year until I was in third grade. I felt sorry for my mom trying to teach and move a family of nine so often. Then, in 1963, we stayed put until we all were married and left home for good.
Finally, I would stay in a school for over a year, make friends, and keep them. I was excited to start this new school where I would attend for the next four years. It was an old brick building called Carter School. It had one large classroom with six grades. Approximately 30-40 kids were in there at one time, yet it never really felt crowded.
There was only one small bathroom for all the kids. I don't ever remember seeing anyone waiting to use it, though.
In the morning, we would stand next to our desks, put our hands over our hearts, look at the small flag hanging on the wall, and say the "Pledge Of Allegiance." Then we would sing, "My Country Tis of Thee”.
I haven't sung or said either in years. Yet, I still know all the words to both. We had a special pride in our country. It was something we just felt early on. I think most who grew up in that era know what I mean.
Before we would take out our lunch boxes to eat our noon lunch, we bowed our heads and said a prayer each day.
We were all expected to do our chores after we were done with the pledge. We each had jobs to do daily, and they would rotate every week. The most important was putting up and taking down the American flag daily. (unless it rained, of course) I still remember exactly how it was to be folded and how we were never allowed to let it touch the ground. We were told if it did it would have to be burned. So we were always careful.
Two each week were responsible for keeping the wood stove going every day. One of the other chores was to burn the garbage. Only the older kids were allowed to do this chore. After all, we got to use matches, which made us feel grown up.
It was our job to clean the blackboards and their erasers, even keeping the schools wooden floors cleaned. Many chores had to be done while kids were in class-time with the teacher. Otherwise there wasn't enough hours in our school day to get it all in.
Our dress code was casual to grubs, since every day we would go out for recess and play dodgeball or baseball with our classmates, no matter what your age. The teacher didn't come out with us, as she used that time to prepare for the following class studies. When we were out there, we picked our teams, played with all six grades as if we were all family and with very few fights. Yet we seldom had any supervision. It seemed normal for then, but I doubt we would ever see that nowadays.
I remember that a nurse from the county came out once with some kind of shot for us, and it seemed to me that we did not get clean needles but instead she wiped it off with alcohol and cotton balls at that time. Nobody would be infected from it, even though I doubt I would have cared for that if it had been my kids. I'm sure this would not fly with parents nowadays, and for a good reason. But back then nothing was said.
When our grade would do class time with the teacher, we would all sit around a big table in the back of the room. The rest of the kids sat in their desks and worked on something else. Teachers were responsible for six grades of reading, spelling, math, and a social studies type of class, every day, times six.
There was something to be said for those simpler times; life wasn't political, and we knew what it was like to play and act like kids and not live in fear of school shootings or kidnappings. We wandered off for hours in the Summer and our parents didn't think twice about it. My mom always knew I was probably fishing with my brothers or catching snakes or frogs with them.
I can't believe that I am now old enough to have earned the right to use our parents and grandparents' old sayings that they used about their childhood. You know, the one that made us roll our eyes when we heard it.
But I will say it anyway, "Those were the good ole days!"
Story of the Month contest entry
When I was little, we moved every year until I was in third grade. I felt sorry for my mom trying to teach and move a family of nine so often. Then, in 1963, we stayed put until we all were married and left home for good.
Finally, I would stay in a school for over a year, make friends, and keep them. I was excited to start this new school where I would attend for the next four years. It was an old brick building called Carter School. It had one large classroom with six grades. Approximately 30-40 kids were in there at one time, yet it never really felt crowded.
There was only one small bathroom for all the kids. I don't ever remember seeing anyone waiting to use it, though.
In the morning, we would stand next to our desks, put our hands over our hearts, look at the small flag hanging on the wall, and say the "Pledge Of Allegiance." Then we would sing, "My Country Tis of Thee”.
I haven't sung or said either in years. Yet, I still know all the words to both. We had a special pride in our country. It was something we just felt early on. I think most who grew up in that era know what I mean.
Before we would take out our lunch boxes to eat our noon lunch, we bowed our heads and said a prayer each day.
We were all expected to do our chores after we were done with the pledge. We each had jobs to do daily, and they would rotate every week. The most important was putting up and taking down the American flag daily. (unless it rained, of course) I still remember exactly how it was to be folded and how we were never allowed to let it touch the ground. We were told if it did it would have to be burned. So we were always careful.
Two each week were responsible for keeping the wood stove going every day. One of the other chores was to burn the garbage. Only the older kids were allowed to do this chore. After all, we got to use matches, which made us feel grown up.
It was our job to clean the blackboards and their erasers, even keeping the schools wooden floors cleaned. Many chores had to be done while kids were in class-time with the teacher. Otherwise there wasn't enough hours in our school day to get it all in.
Our dress code was casual to grubs, since every day we would go out for recess and play dodgeball or baseball with our classmates, no matter what your age. The teacher didn't come out with us, as she used that time to prepare for the following class studies. When we were out there, we picked our teams, played with all six grades as if we were all family and with very few fights. Yet we seldom had any supervision. It seemed normal for then, but I doubt we would ever see that nowadays.
I remember that a nurse from the county came out once with some kind of shot for us, and it seemed to me that we did not get clean needles but instead she wiped it off with alcohol and cotton balls at that time. Nobody would be infected from it, even though I doubt I would have cared for that if it had been my kids. I'm sure this would not fly with parents nowadays, and for a good reason. But back then nothing was said.
When our grade would do class time with the teacher, we would all sit around a big table in the back of the room. The rest of the kids sat in their desks and worked on something else. Teachers were responsible for six grades of reading, spelling, math, and a social studies type of class, every day, times six.
There was something to be said for those simpler times; life wasn't political, and we knew what it was like to play and act like kids and not live in fear of school shootings or kidnappings. We wandered off for hours in the Summer and our parents didn't think twice about it. My mom always knew I was probably fishing with my brothers or catching snakes or frogs with them.
I can't believe that I am now old enough to have earned the right to use our parents and grandparents' old sayings that they used about their childhood. You know, the one that made us roll our eyes when we heard it.
But I will say it anyway, "Those were the good ole days!"
 Recognized |
#7 March 2024 |
You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.
© Copyright 2024. Debi Pick Marquette All rights reserved.
Debi Pick Marquette has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.
