Stand Beside Her and Guide Her

First Grade - Clyde Grade School 1941-42

NOTE:  I'm the kid in the overalls in the second row - extreme left.

 

Thelma Berry (top right)  was my first grade teacher.   Shortly after I sat down at my desk, she gave me a small cardboard sign.  I can still see the letters:

n-o-r-m-a-n.  

She didn’t start trying to teach us upper case letters.  Her idea was to start simple and work up.  She wanted us to learn how to write our names.   I was to practice writing it over and over.   I think the fact that I started to school one day late explains my terrible penmanship.   At least that’s what I would like to lay it off on.

We started the school day with the pledge of allegiance, followed by the singing of Irving Berlin’s, God Bless America.   War clouds were on the horizon and Kate Smith won the hearts of the nation with the song that was reprised in the aftermath of the World Trade Center disaster in 2001.   I quickly learned that song, and I realized that I had an ear for music.  I didn’t quite understand the lyrics however.  

When we rose for the song every morning, I stood by a little girl named Clorita Newsome.   I thought “stand beside her and guide her” meant that I was supposed to stand beside Clorita and guide her.  If I ever attempted to do any guiding I don’t remember it.   I shared that memory with Clorita at our 50^th class reunion.    Her husband told me that I didn’t do a very good job of guiding.