Movies

find relief from the tension.

Libraries - this brings me back to my high school. I swear this story is true.

Scene. First year the town's new high school is opened. 1956. I'm in 9th grade. The librarian was late 20's or early 30's, single. One of the nicest people you would want to know.

Scenario: A couple of days into the new school year and things to be ironed out. One of them is the process to allow kids who want to go from study hall to the library and make sure they ALL get from point A (study hall) to point B, which by now, you can guess is the library.

Simple. There's a yellow pad. Sign your name on it, last kid takes the pad to the library and the librarian reads out the names.

And so it begins: " Bobby G." " Here."
"Dennis O. "Here"
"Jack C". (That was me). "Here"
"Dick Huertz". silence.
"Dick Huertz". silence.

Louder "Dick Huertz". Silence.

Even louder, "Who's Dick Huertz?"

20 young lads: "MINE ! "

The poor woman turned red, quickly vanished into her office, never to be seen for the rest of the period.


Being now in my 80's and a retired teacher, while I can look back at that episode with a smile, I still feel some guild and sadness, thinking about it.