On September 3, 1962, I started school in Belfast at the Robert Bell Primary School. My daddy had already been in America for over two months; and it would be less than two months until I would be in America too. This picture, which was taken at the school, is a definite classic. Each day my mommy would give me money for my lunch, with the instructions "don't give it to anyone but your teacher". Apparently my teacher was a "smacker" (not uncommon in the "olden days"). My teacher smacked me because I broke a yellow crayon. Although I do have some vague memories of my early childhood in Ireland, and even of school... I don't remember being smacked. This is not an unfamiliar picture to those of you who read my blog, it's there on the sidebar every time you pop in. Recently I looked at the picture and saw a resemblance between me and one of my grandchildren. Who do you think I look like? Or should I say... looks like me?
7 comments:
I'm going to say Mason.
I am sorry I don't know your darling grandchildren well enough to say which one looks like you, but I do think that your niece, Melissa Marsden Turney looked very much like this when she was younger (in my memory at least). You are both beautiful now and such cute little girls!
That is so sad that teachers were allowed to be so mean. My third grade teacher in Pleasant Grove was a smaker and she would grab the boys by that little tuft of hair at the nape of their necks to pick them up and walk them out of the classroom. I was terrified of her.
My grandmother was left handed as a child and her teacher would smack her hand with a yardstick every time she used her left to write with. That cruel teacher actually broke several bones in that poor little six-year-old's left hand and that is how grandma learned to write with her right hand. The teacher probably thought she was just a very effective teacher...
Mason for sure!! I love this picture and didn't know the story behind it. I really like your classics Les. I'm glad you have some memories of Ireland.
I think Miss Avery looks like you.
I was reading through my notes and you told me that there were "tody toilets with tody chains" tody meaning tiny. That is the way we spoke.
aren't you glad we immigrated?
To think that cute little girl grew up to be my best friend! And how dare some teacher smack you!!! I see a lot of you in Caitlin as a child.
I need to see your grandchildren more often to make a determination.
Mason...it is so funny to think his little face looks EXACTLY like you, yet somehow looks like me, too?! I love this pic of you--you're so cute!
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