1st & 2nd Days Of Fourth Grade

Thursday September 12, 2008
***************************

1st & 2nd Days of Fourth Grade
Mrs. Pearson’s Class

I remember it well. 1959 .. just 49 years ago.

My Family had just completed our all-day visit to Glen Echo Amusement Park in Cabin John, Maryland.
My Mother worked for the Marriott Corporation’s Hot Shoppe Restaurant. Every year, during the last week of Summer – Hot Shoppe allowed their Employees and their whole Families to ride any and all of the Rides .. as much as they wanted. And we all ate a fabulous meal with Soft Drinks and Dessert. And we swam in the Crystal Pool as much as we wanted to.
Usually, these trips took place on a week-end .. but this year – it was done on Memorial Day, Monday. And School started the very next day.

Mrs. Pearson’s Fourth Grade Classroom was in the old, smaller building at the full School’s Complex on Locust Street in Herndon, Virginia. The room was on the main level – front, right hand side of the building.

Mrs. Pearson knew me because I had two Sisters who went through her Fourth Grade Classes, just a few years prior to this one. I never really knew much about Mrs. Pearson’s personal life but there must have been some sort of problem because she always smelled like cheap perfume and poop. Seriously ! Sh!t & Avon. Seriously !

Regardless, Mrs. Pearson was meticulous in her preperation and thorough in her written assignments. Every day was to be started with the 7 Morning Messages. They were; 1) Daily Bible Reading, 2) Lord’s Prayer, 3) Pledge of Alligence / Flag Salute, 4) Thought For The Day, 5) Sharing (where anybody could share any item or message), 6) Lunch Menu (for that day), and finally 7) a Morning Song (that the whole class would sing).
There would be 7 different children handling these chores for a full week at a time. The next week, each child would slid down a notch to the next chore .. and a new child was added at the top where the Bible Reading was.

On this Tuesday, first day of School – Mrs. Pearson chose the 7 kids and doled out their respective Morning Jobs. I was at the top of the list. Daily Bible Reading.
I was given a Bible and a few minutes to choose my verse (which was the 23rd Psalm, obviously).

On the next day of School, when I got into the Classroom, that morning – Mrs. Pearson took me and Connie Butler aside and explained to me that Connie’s Father was a Christian Preacher .. and Connie requested that SHE be given the Daily Bible Reading chore. Therefore, I’d be moved down to the Pledge of Alligeance because a member of Connie’s Church (Suzy) wanted the Lord’s Prayer. Gary Vernon would slid down 2 spots. Sammy Young would lose his Morning Song slot and fall off the panel, altogether. It didn’t matter because he wasn’t there, that morning, anyway .. as would Bobby Drummund lose his spot - who had the Sharing gig .. and he liked it. He was good at it.

And so it was. The Pledge of Alligeance was going to be tricky because I’d never seen it in print .. and only mouthed the words, the day before .. because I was coming down off having to have read from the Bible .. aloud. By. Myself !
Let’s see ..there’s ..

”Everybody, please stand blah blah blah –
I pledge allegiance to the Flag .. United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands… gee, now what ? Oh, one Nation under God, indivisible, (maybe that’s indivisable .. invisible .. inadmissible) With Liberty and Justice for all. ”
Wow, is that right ? I think most of it.

Twenty minutes later, as School began and the 7 Morning Messengers were assembling – Mrs. Pearson grabbed my arm and told me I’d be switched to the Lord’s Prayer because Connie’s Churchmate was too scarred to say the Lord’s Prayer in front of the Class.

Now, Connie’s Daily Bible Reading was short and sweet. Barely gave me time to realize that I wasn’t sure of the words in the Lord’s Prayer. Let’s see there’s:
“Our Father who art in Heaven – Hallowed, hollowed, holy be his name .. uh, uh, thy kingdom come .. my king .. thy will be done …
Right about then, it was my turn. I froze a little .. and wanted to buy time so I said,
“ now you all go on and bow your heads, now everybody .. you too, Connie and Suzy”..

and away I went.
“Our Father who art in Heaven – Hallowed be thy name – Thy kingdom come – Thy will be done – On Earth as it is in Heaven”
And there I was .. right to where I practiced .. and I was lost .. couldn’t go further ..
until these words just smoothly rolled on out,

“and to the Republic for which it stands”
Now, confusion enters the Room. Several children began to stand, hearing the Flag Salute. Then, I roll out,

“Give us our day this daily bread”
Now kids are bowing their heads again, and this faux pas may pass, quietly. But, no – I continue, “One nation under God, indi .. indi .. individual – Liberty Valance ..”

Now, there’s kids laughing at the individual misspeak. And Liberty Valance. There’s many others that are standing. And Connie Buler is motioning to Mrs. Pearson, who still was in semi bowed head Prayer mode. That was it.

Mrs. Pearson walked briskly over to my face and grabbed me by my hair and shook me. Hard ! And then yells in my ear that she knew she couldn’t trust me to be serious.

There it was ! The first big student screw up of the year. I was embarrassed in front of the whole Class .. and it was going to last, all year. All year.



** Looking back on this incident in my Life’s Adventures .. I’m visably moved to tell you, in all seriousness, ..
I should have dropped that b!tch right there, when she grabbed my hair and pulled it.

:howardcosell:
Down goes Mrs. Pearson ! Down goes Mrs. Pearson ! Down goes Mrs. Pearson !
:howardcosell:

LARRY CURTIS SPURLOCK

.

.