The ‘fateful’ first day of school

By Jack Coley (Contact) | Alex City Outlook

Published Thursday, March 4, 2010

This is a small medical bulletin. Last Wednesday I went for my report at the oncologist. His report showed that the small tumor had shrunk 50 percent and that some spots he had seen previously had totally disappeared. Like any good general, if a battle is being won, you fight on; so I am due to have more chemotherapy –this week, the week of March 22 and we will go from there. I am completely confident of the Lord working through your prayers. And whatever he decides as the outcome, it is perfectly all right with me.

Now on to happier and earlier days. I don’t know why, but when I get sick, my mind goes back to days of yore. For some reason, I remember a pair of crepe sole shoes that my mother bought for my first day of school. I was of course a little apprehensive (as I guess we all are on that fateful day) but I walked dutifully beside mother into that enormous and forbidding long brick building (which fire destroyed several years later.) I am sure we probably stopped by Mr. Nipper’s office (he was the principal). Then, we turned right and walked down this long, dark hall which smelled strongly of creosote until we arrived at the last room on the right which was ruled with jolly good humor by Miss Myrtis Mae Heath, originally of Gold Hill, Alabama. Nobody could have been more welcoming or good natured than Miss Heath. I immediately felt welcome. I was also lucky in that some playmates and friends from my Presbyterian Church happened to be in my room. There were: Sandlin Coley (my cousin), Henry Williams (who played Santa Claus in the Christmas play), Bill King, Preston Graves, John Mitchell, Edd Bronson (always spelled with the double “d”) Bruce Vickers, one of the nicest and friendliest of my classmates, John Denney and many others. I cannot begin to list what all I learned besides the usual reading, writing and arithmetic, which were not so easy in the first grade. Miss Heath couldn’t have been a better-natured or more patient teacher and full of good humor.

There was recess, a play period on the playground where I learned that mumble-de-peg could be very dangerous. There were stories of serious injuries, even losses of eyes. The most heinous, the most serious and the horrible of all playground crimes was playing marbles FOR KEEPS! Depending upon the principal or teacher, this crime could bring on dire consequences. I really don’t know how a pupil got caught unless he was “told on,” which was the term back then for snitching. This did not only apply to serious crimes like playing marbles for keeps but for far lesser offenses such as cheating on test papers, saying ugly things about other pupils or (Heaven forfend) a teacher.

This was the First Grade Class of 1939-40, and it was a rather male world. The girls were easy to tease and to make cry. I have to admit that I have borne a certain amount of guilt all through my life for saying cruel and mean things to these defenseless females; although there were some who were well able to take care of themselves, and several of us boys went home with black eyes, bumps on the head, etc. as a result of underestimating the power of women even back in those dark days.

As far as my memory takes me, my first grade was happy and I made some life long friends whom I still cherish. One thing I will say is that life has never been the same. I deem myself extremely fortunate to have begun my education with Miss Heath and the classmates I was most fortunate to be given.

Jack Coley's column on Alexander City appears each Thursday in The Alexander City Outlook.

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