It was the first day of school for the little one. The whole crew at last on their way to education and American life. Lucky them. Theres no going back. Normally itd be early as the sun and roust them, but their Mother wanted to walk Keith in herself, break it gently. Hell, he was raring to go.
I slept in as late as I could, because Id be the 6am boy for now on. I actually made it to 11:18 am. I havent slept that late in a long time. I was leaving at 2 pm to drive the hour to the school and pick the oldest up for band. Wed decided on Band. Why? Because a teacher warned us if the kid wasnt going to make the HS football team, and that looked unlikely, in this place the er uh, if youll forgive this expression: the smart kids went to band. Not so much for the horn hooting as it followed along with all the rest, drama, writing and theatre. And the kids who take those things do not see as often the kids who do not. Theyre on different courses, different times at school. So, if you want your son to have friends, his peerage, he goes to Band.
Not what I remember in school at all. But things have changed. Not any more walk-ons to sports? The teacher assured me the ones who make the teams are put into the various trades by their parents while theyre about 5 years of age, and if sooner better. And the HS looks for talent at the gradeschool, already weeding out the merely gifted. It seemed strange. Rural locations care very very much about sports.
Travis is one of the biggest kids in the second grade, though hes no monster. Hes blonde and gifted and strong. He looks like a Roman Senators son, not mine. When he was three hed ride Big Wheels down the mining roads, full of sharp tailings, 30 mph and both feet out in the mineral slush to steer and brake. You cant teach that. But I guess he wont be a walk-on someday...I dunno, the whole thing smacks of petty pride and German genetic engineering to me. Id asked a kid once in a coffeeshop about the Malta HS. Were always about the best in sports, she assured me.
And why is that? I asked her softly. I could see the obvious pride and dug in. But I was gentle.
Why..just because. She told me, hesitating a bit.
Now, it cant be just, because, I laughed a little, but not unkindly, why is Malta better?
Because the people around there are just stronger and better than most other people, I guess.
There was a highly ranked Rodeo champ from Phillips county the school system mostly just ignored. They were into basketball and football. Rodeo didnt count.
A beef rasing State and Rodeo didnt count. Well, they cant teach Rodeo, and cows eat the grass all by themselves. The Football team still call themselves the Mustangs, though.
I got to school and picked up Keith from a room of adorable children. Id thought Keith a handsome child but todays kids are well done. In my school years we had lots of cast-offs, a few polio crutches still in the coat room, rotten teeth, bad hair, bad complection, lopsided ears..and more. But today we sure have cleaner lines. Not sure that comes up in science texts.
Carters class took forever to get out because he had the toughest teacher in the school. I thought maybe the experience would teach him discipline, something Im also lacking. We got Trav and drove to the High School. I parked out front. We walked to the big double doors and they were locked. A small recipe sized card said, Guests use South Entrance because of security procedures.
The school was one of those new architectures, no- 45 degree angles and sprawling. We hoofed it to the South Door. It wouldnt open. I knew this was a South door. How many more could there be?
I looked at Carter.
This is the South Door. Southeast anyway. Whats going on with this place?
Yeah, he agreed, this is the South door. He shook his head in shared frustration. He was with Dad on this one. He glanced towards the next opening, about a 140 yards away. Ill run over and see if that door is open. He took off on the sidewalk .
We walked some more. Keith gleefully trotted after his older brother over the mowed grass and I didnt tell him he wasnt supposed to. We got to another door. Wed almost circled the entire institution, and I was in a hurry because the Band Teacher was waiting for us after class as a politeness to my family. This door opened. I saw the front desk.
How come the South door isnt facing South? I asked. I was irritated, and a little out of breath, but not mad. But Id forgotten High Schools...
It does face South. Where did you start from?
The front doors. We walked around, heading south. The South door was locked. Thats gotta be the Southwest door here.
Its the South door, She said, and pulled back 2 inches from the counter. He face wrinkled in disapproval.
I knew what this was. We werent supposed to complain, and complaints meant the civil servants werent doing their jobs, which they were, and this meant we were unreasonable. It was a quick line. They all had it.. I lowered my voice..
Which way to the Band room? I asked her.
Down that hall, turn right, through the gym.
Thank you.
I marched on like a damned fool. I couldnt forget the South. We walked down a hallway and soon saw the gym room. Only its doors were shut tight also. I tried, and tried again. I didnt want to go back. My kids watched. There were some other kids in the hall. I suddenly yanked hard on one of the double doors and there was a slight scrape as it opened. Id forced it. The lock was beat. I dont know what the kids in the Hall thought. Upon entering the gym we were immediately aware of the new plastic coating on the wooden floor, and of the female students in a squad directly to the right of us. Theyd just watched someone force the door and had stopped all action for an instant. The teacher tried to carry on and shouted some instructions to them. This was her time. There wasnt anyone supposed to be here at this hour. .
Pardon, I said quietly without looking, and steered my little band to the only open door I saw in that large dim room. We smelled the plastic as we walked.
When we got there we found another corridor and no band room. We kept walking. I spoke to a woman I thought was a teacher.
Wheres the Band Room.?
She was very happy to show me. I started explaining again about the South door. These are the memories my sons will have of their demented father. He just couldnt let it go, he had that door on the brain.
A large man overheard me and stopped our group. He was about 6'5" and 250 lbs. There were young men around partially dressed in Football sweats so I knew Id found the Coach.
The south door is south of the main parking lot.
No, we tried the door south of the main parking lot. Were parked on the main parking lot. That door was locked. I dont think the door we entered is South.
Theres a South door.
We came in through a door you call the South door. Its right by the front desk.
Thats the South door. He told me grandly. I watched as our guide to the Band Room disappeared around a corner. She had no time for this. The coach had stopped us because of the sound of my voice. It was challenging to him. I had to make him see, no contest and get on my way.
Yes, but is the door you call the South door really facing South? I looked quickly into his face. Tell you what, Ill use a GPS and if Im wrong, Im wrong, and Ill report back to you. That was good for the Coach. We went down the hall.
We entered the hallway wed left to bust through the Gym. We were only 50 feet from there. I knew where the band room was now. You didn't have to go through the Gym at all, and we were very close to the front doors where wed parked.
We turned the corner and found the Band Teacher.
I shook his hand.
My kids looked at me.
We went to the South door, but it wasnt the South door. Im sorry were late.
Thats alright. This place is funny until you figure it out.
Wed come here so Carter could try out the various band instruments.
After some discussion, he handed Carter a Trumpet.
To my surprise, a nice clear tone came out when Carter blew.
Then we went to the Sax. Again, not bad, though his fingers didnt know what to do, of course.
The Trombone went OK, but I didnt think he liked it, and the tone wasnt as clear.
The Claronet didnt work at first, but then he settled in and found the range.
He said he thought he liked the Saxaphone best, as wed thought from his listening to records at home to the sounds of the horns. I thanked the Band Teacher, shook his hand, and we walked back into the corridor. The girls team wed interrupted earlier in the gym was now in the hall and we again walked by. Its us; you remember?. We had to pass right between the squad and their teacher. I sort of cat-toed so theyd know I was contrite.
A hundred feet later we were out the front doors. There was our truck.
I had to see. I drove to the Southeast door first, the one which was south of the Main doors and locked. The GPS in the truck said Southeast. So far so good. I found the South door, lined the truck up, and watched as the screen said, South.
Well, Im just plain wrong and this is the South door.
A Sign said, no exit here and I turned around in the lot. I hoped I wouldnt be ticketed for driving out of bounds.
I was remembering High School.
munk
I slept in as late as I could, because Id be the 6am boy for now on. I actually made it to 11:18 am. I havent slept that late in a long time. I was leaving at 2 pm to drive the hour to the school and pick the oldest up for band. Wed decided on Band. Why? Because a teacher warned us if the kid wasnt going to make the HS football team, and that looked unlikely, in this place the er uh, if youll forgive this expression: the smart kids went to band. Not so much for the horn hooting as it followed along with all the rest, drama, writing and theatre. And the kids who take those things do not see as often the kids who do not. Theyre on different courses, different times at school. So, if you want your son to have friends, his peerage, he goes to Band.
Not what I remember in school at all. But things have changed. Not any more walk-ons to sports? The teacher assured me the ones who make the teams are put into the various trades by their parents while theyre about 5 years of age, and if sooner better. And the HS looks for talent at the gradeschool, already weeding out the merely gifted. It seemed strange. Rural locations care very very much about sports.
Travis is one of the biggest kids in the second grade, though hes no monster. Hes blonde and gifted and strong. He looks like a Roman Senators son, not mine. When he was three hed ride Big Wheels down the mining roads, full of sharp tailings, 30 mph and both feet out in the mineral slush to steer and brake. You cant teach that. But I guess he wont be a walk-on someday...I dunno, the whole thing smacks of petty pride and German genetic engineering to me. Id asked a kid once in a coffeeshop about the Malta HS. Were always about the best in sports, she assured me.
And why is that? I asked her softly. I could see the obvious pride and dug in. But I was gentle.
Why..just because. She told me, hesitating a bit.
Now, it cant be just, because, I laughed a little, but not unkindly, why is Malta better?
Because the people around there are just stronger and better than most other people, I guess.
There was a highly ranked Rodeo champ from Phillips county the school system mostly just ignored. They were into basketball and football. Rodeo didnt count.
A beef rasing State and Rodeo didnt count. Well, they cant teach Rodeo, and cows eat the grass all by themselves. The Football team still call themselves the Mustangs, though.
I got to school and picked up Keith from a room of adorable children. Id thought Keith a handsome child but todays kids are well done. In my school years we had lots of cast-offs, a few polio crutches still in the coat room, rotten teeth, bad hair, bad complection, lopsided ears..and more. But today we sure have cleaner lines. Not sure that comes up in science texts.
Carters class took forever to get out because he had the toughest teacher in the school. I thought maybe the experience would teach him discipline, something Im also lacking. We got Trav and drove to the High School. I parked out front. We walked to the big double doors and they were locked. A small recipe sized card said, Guests use South Entrance because of security procedures.
The school was one of those new architectures, no- 45 degree angles and sprawling. We hoofed it to the South Door. It wouldnt open. I knew this was a South door. How many more could there be?
I looked at Carter.
This is the South Door. Southeast anyway. Whats going on with this place?
Yeah, he agreed, this is the South door. He shook his head in shared frustration. He was with Dad on this one. He glanced towards the next opening, about a 140 yards away. Ill run over and see if that door is open. He took off on the sidewalk .
We walked some more. Keith gleefully trotted after his older brother over the mowed grass and I didnt tell him he wasnt supposed to. We got to another door. Wed almost circled the entire institution, and I was in a hurry because the Band Teacher was waiting for us after class as a politeness to my family. This door opened. I saw the front desk.
How come the South door isnt facing South? I asked. I was irritated, and a little out of breath, but not mad. But Id forgotten High Schools...
It does face South. Where did you start from?
The front doors. We walked around, heading south. The South door was locked. Thats gotta be the Southwest door here.
Its the South door, She said, and pulled back 2 inches from the counter. He face wrinkled in disapproval.
I knew what this was. We werent supposed to complain, and complaints meant the civil servants werent doing their jobs, which they were, and this meant we were unreasonable. It was a quick line. They all had it.. I lowered my voice..
Which way to the Band room? I asked her.
Down that hall, turn right, through the gym.
Thank you.
I marched on like a damned fool. I couldnt forget the South. We walked down a hallway and soon saw the gym room. Only its doors were shut tight also. I tried, and tried again. I didnt want to go back. My kids watched. There were some other kids in the hall. I suddenly yanked hard on one of the double doors and there was a slight scrape as it opened. Id forced it. The lock was beat. I dont know what the kids in the Hall thought. Upon entering the gym we were immediately aware of the new plastic coating on the wooden floor, and of the female students in a squad directly to the right of us. Theyd just watched someone force the door and had stopped all action for an instant. The teacher tried to carry on and shouted some instructions to them. This was her time. There wasnt anyone supposed to be here at this hour. .
Pardon, I said quietly without looking, and steered my little band to the only open door I saw in that large dim room. We smelled the plastic as we walked.
When we got there we found another corridor and no band room. We kept walking. I spoke to a woman I thought was a teacher.
Wheres the Band Room.?
She was very happy to show me. I started explaining again about the South door. These are the memories my sons will have of their demented father. He just couldnt let it go, he had that door on the brain.
A large man overheard me and stopped our group. He was about 6'5" and 250 lbs. There were young men around partially dressed in Football sweats so I knew Id found the Coach.
The south door is south of the main parking lot.
No, we tried the door south of the main parking lot. Were parked on the main parking lot. That door was locked. I dont think the door we entered is South.
Theres a South door.
We came in through a door you call the South door. Its right by the front desk.
Thats the South door. He told me grandly. I watched as our guide to the Band Room disappeared around a corner. She had no time for this. The coach had stopped us because of the sound of my voice. It was challenging to him. I had to make him see, no contest and get on my way.
Yes, but is the door you call the South door really facing South? I looked quickly into his face. Tell you what, Ill use a GPS and if Im wrong, Im wrong, and Ill report back to you. That was good for the Coach. We went down the hall.
We entered the hallway wed left to bust through the Gym. We were only 50 feet from there. I knew where the band room was now. You didn't have to go through the Gym at all, and we were very close to the front doors where wed parked.
We turned the corner and found the Band Teacher.
I shook his hand.
My kids looked at me.
We went to the South door, but it wasnt the South door. Im sorry were late.
Thats alright. This place is funny until you figure it out.
Wed come here so Carter could try out the various band instruments.
After some discussion, he handed Carter a Trumpet.
To my surprise, a nice clear tone came out when Carter blew.
Then we went to the Sax. Again, not bad, though his fingers didnt know what to do, of course.
The Trombone went OK, but I didnt think he liked it, and the tone wasnt as clear.
The Claronet didnt work at first, but then he settled in and found the range.
He said he thought he liked the Saxaphone best, as wed thought from his listening to records at home to the sounds of the horns. I thanked the Band Teacher, shook his hand, and we walked back into the corridor. The girls team wed interrupted earlier in the gym was now in the hall and we again walked by. Its us; you remember?. We had to pass right between the squad and their teacher. I sort of cat-toed so theyd know I was contrite.
A hundred feet later we were out the front doors. There was our truck.
I had to see. I drove to the Southeast door first, the one which was south of the Main doors and locked. The GPS in the truck said Southeast. So far so good. I found the South door, lined the truck up, and watched as the screen said, South.
Well, Im just plain wrong and this is the South door.
A Sign said, no exit here and I turned around in the lot. I hoped I wouldnt be ticketed for driving out of bounds.
I was remembering High School.
munk
