PERILS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

                  BY

                             NOLAN BAILEY

    This is a photo that my mother labeled as "first grade." ????  Who knows, I was only six

                        
Here's something that Miss Rathbun's former students might be able to help me with.  Many of the first grade students in my class brought lunches from home.  Miss Rathbun requested that the mothers of these students provide a cloth napkin for their child to use when finished with their "peanut butter and jelly" sandwiches.  In fact, I found my "napkin" a while back, and it brought back many pleasant memories.  Mine is dark blue with tiny flowers imprinted on it.  And, my mother had embroidered a red border around the edges, with my name embroidered along one corner.  I'm just wondering if anyone remembers this tidbit, too?  It "has been" a long, long, time ago...  

Miss Rathbun used to march us down to the playgrounds, under the hill (?), in long lines.  And, I can remember her having a reading circle.  She would "circle up" chairs like Conestoga wagons in the old west, and each student would read in turn.  I'm surprised that someone hasn't found an old photo of her, and/or her first grade classes. 

In retrospect, I remember liking her class.  And, unfortunately, I remember missing my bus home one day.  All of the zillion busses looked the same to a small "big eyed" first grader.  At least, back then the World was awfully big.  So, I just "memorized" where my bus was normally parked each afternoon.  Then, one day, it wasn't in the right place and I didn't find it in time.  It's been a "couple of years," so I don't know how I got home.  But, I still remember the "panic."  It was a long way from school to Oak Ridge, and I wasn't sure that I could walk that far.  I'm not even sure that we had a telephone back in the 1940's.  Such were the perils of early childhood.  Heck, I'm still lost, and don't know how to get home.  <smile>

Regards to all,

Nolan