We're staying in first grade for this one. Mom -- if you can find a picture of this event, send it to me, and I'll add it to give a bit more color to my description.
In order to get us excited about reading, we had a contest to see who could read the most over a month's time frame or so. I'm going to give an account the way my 6-7 year-old brain remembers it, and if I find evidence that I'm exaggerating or understating anything, I'll add a footnote.
I was a good reader (once my mom reads this, she may make me add my first footnote for that statement alone) -- I was stoked to show everybody, too. I had to count the number of books I read, and I remember my mom keeping track of them on a 5" x 8" (or so)notepad, and the way I remember it, you would get credit for a book for every ten pages you read.
I specifically remember reading a book about marine life, and one about some gargoyles and pizza (my favorite book back then, but I can't even remember the title now). All in all, I read over 600 books -- since this seems unlikely, I now believe it may have been over 600 pages. Again, Mom, if you have the certificate -- scan it and I'll be really sad when I have to revise my story down to "just over 60 pages".
They had a big awards assembly where we had to wear our best suit -- problem being that this was the mid-seventies, so there weren't even any good suits. Forest green polyester - far out, man -- sold! We also had to walk arm in arm with one of those soft people (girls). I wasn't really excited about that, but it was still my big night. The governor was going to be there (could have been a city council member who was also the father of one of the kids), and I was pretty sure that the media would be covering the event.
I remember being nervous about hand placement. I was supposed to put my hand over my belly button, and the girl would put her arm through the hole in my arm. I took this VERY seriously, and didn't want to screw it up. I can actually see a manifestation of my thoughts and feelings in the way my nephew, Andrew, currently handles important situations like this one. Serious as a heart-attack and stiff as a board.
I don't remember how they paired up the boys and girls, but I do remember hitting the jackpot -- Tracy Hooton. Dark hair, fair-skinned, and wore a light green dress that would go well with the pimp-daddy polyester I was wearing. She was the belle of the ball and I was the red-headed, freckle-faced, hyper-active and crew-cut date on the end of her arm. I'm sure we both felt pretty lucky.
She was also wearing a flower and -- get this -- perfume. All the boys were suddenly a little hipper to the positive aspects of the soft people. They were lining up to smell her flower - clearly a front to get a little closer, but still be cool.
Not a shabby night. I remember telling people for years that I set a record for the number of books read, and I believed it. In hindsight, 60 pages ain't bad!
Soccer is cool!
3 comments:
Okay. Now you have given me a reason to go hunting through pictures and boxes. I can't remember how many books it was, however, you spent every minute (well almost every minute) reading to me while I fixed dinner, did dishes, etc. Again, competition has always been your thing -- especially against yourself.
Glad you have always loved to read.
That's why you can write so well and have such a vivid imagination.
You started early having good luck on girlfriends. Julie is our favorite of course.
Luv ya!!
Grandma means "favorite" as in only! Or was there another girlfriend I wasn't aware of, maybe she is getting you confused with Mike. :)
I can totally see you standing there straight as a board with your hand over your belly button, I bet it didn't move an inch.
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