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| My first grade picture |
I was born a lot unhealthy and the doctors did not think I
had much of a chance to grow up to a normal size. I had lots of allergies and spent my first
birthday in the hospital and by the second birthday I had my tonsils out and
was allergic to milk and about everything else.
Now living on a dairy that was even more of a challenge as there was
milk everywhere and a lot of it. Of
course I don’t remember much of that but that is the story I was told. The interesting thing about those predictions
from the doctors is that by the time I was in the second grade I was pushing
five foot tall. Everyone thought I was a
giant. By the time I was in the 8th
grade I was 6’2” and 205 lbs. Still am,
at least on the 6’2”.
Let me tell you the good and the bad about this:
·
In the first grade they put me in a high school
chair which really hurt my feelings – I would have done anything to fit in one
of those small chairs
·
When two people are talking, like Jon Tanny and
Jimmy, and the teacher, Mrs. Snyder, tells them to be quiet you can assist the
teacher by grabbing both behind the head then pressing their heads together in
a swift and vibrant motion. I banged
their heads together. It backfired on me,
as Mrs. Snyder got mad at me. I was just
trying to help.
·
Everybody wants you on their team, even if you
are slow and I don’t mean mentally.
·
The teachers and other adults treat you like you
are a lot older than you are even when they know you are mentally young. I even got charged at the movies a higher
price because they did not believe I was so young.
·
Hugh Jones was the only person willing to fight me
and he just loved getting beat up. I
guess that is why he is a great Marine, not because he liked getting beat up
but he had an incredible amount of courage and tenacity.
·
People did not look down on me because I was
taller and bigger than them. That was a
joke.
·
I got to drive a tractor and pickup somewhere
around 9 years old.
·
Girls discovered me before I even was interested
and in fact I am certain I could not even spell girls until the 8th
or 9th grade.
·
I got to play any and every sport I tried out
for and even started in every sport.
None of that sounds so bad but what folks did not understand
was I had a child’s mind in that big body.
I wanted to be like everyone else.
·
I wanted to be fast like Hugh Allen
·
I wanted to be smart like Jim Heath
·
I wanted to be funny like Jon Tanny
·
I wanted to be popular like so many
·
I wanted to be talented like Steve Chrisco
What is interesting is later on in life I learned that even
smaller people wanted the same things and some of them wanted to be big and
strong like me. But what I chose to
remember is that in Shidler pretty much everyone treated me well and allowed me
to be clumsy and a silly kid just like everyone else. They were, without exception, friends and
supporters. What I do remember is there
were folks who had less talent, not as good looking and those who were
extremely talented and great looking but everyone were a friend. Maybe I just missed it because I did not care
or was not smart enough to catch on but everyone was a friend with
everyone. If you were excluded it was
because you chose to be excluded.
Maybe I am like Will Rogers but I don’t think so. I think everyone liked everyone; we never met
a person we did not like.
So what do you learn in the Osage?
·
What you think others think of you is not what
others think of you? You better ponder
and read that again and again.
·
What you think of others is not as important as
how you treat others.
·
If you kick your dog when no one is around you
are a scumbag and YOU and your dog know it.
Thanks for your time,
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