In the winter we would take our sleds, wait for cars to stop at the stop signs and slam the sled on the road, grab the back bumper and be pulled along for a block or two.I am sure the drivers knew what was going on, but they almost never chased us away.Sometime one of our dad's would tie our sleds together and then tie the first one to the bumper on a long rope.Never heard of anyone getting hurt that way.
Well now my Mother, as I am sure all mothers, worried about the river:"There are deep drop-offs with strong currents, you could drown and no one would know it." Well, that is why we went there, to learn to swim and be brave. The bigger kids knew how to have fun and were only too willing to teach us.If any girls came around, we could show-off how great we were.
Our school had kids from town and some from the country.They came on buses and were all considered farmers.All except one cute little girl whose grand-parents owned a restaurant.She was the apple of my eye, and I tried to act grown-up around her.One day she asked me if I would like to see where she lived.Seventh Heaven, she really liked me, my head was in the clouds.She told me how to get to her house, and to come see her on Saturday morning.It was about four miles from where we lived and my bicycle just wouldn't go fast enough.Never liked to get up early on Saturday morning, but that morning I was awake before daylight.It's a long story with a sad ending.My first romance wasn't what I thought it would be,but I was happy for the rest of the school year.As I look back, it reminds me of Charlie Brown and the little headed girl.
When I was in seventh grade, I found out that my parents were divorced. I never knew when it happened, just knew is all.What was strange to me was that my father's mother was at our house most of the time.My mother got a job, first as a housekeeper for a doctor and his family.Then when the war started she went to work in a factory.She worked there for twenty-seven years.I loved my mother very much, but I got mad at her when she wouldn't let me join the army. I was twelve at the time, and I wanted to fight the Japs.
After graduating from eighth grade we had to move across the river onthe other side of town.I didn't know any kids and missed my little red haired girl.The first year of high school went by fairly smoothly.Never made it to the principals office, but the homeroom teacher was something else.He had a huge hand and did what we called an old side-winder.Sneak up from behind and swing that hand from left field and hit you right behind the ear.You couldn't hear anything the rest of the day.
HST,old give em hell Harry.The man who had the misfortune of having to bring the world into the atomic age.I was in highschool at the time and remember it was a very hot topic of discussion, at a time when most of us really didn't discuss those things.It brought the war to an end, and while the A Bomb killed many people, it saved many, many more.
