Well, I knew it was going to happen. The warning signs were there. My trusty, old HP laptop
crashed and burned. It has served me well. I made a quick run to Staples and was able to secure
a small desktop that I think will serve my needs. And, lucky me, it was on sale. I’ve been using
Windows-XP for several years and now I’m trying hard to learn Windows-7. I’m also having to
switch from Microsoft Works to Microsoft Word and it is a lot different. So, I don’t know how
this will affect things but Cindy will let me know if there are any big problems to correct.
In the last issue, I mentioned seeing Patsy. She and her husband reside in Lawrence, Kansas, and
they were in Calico Rock for Patsy’s high school class reunion. Patsy is a tall girl and was a star
on the Pirate basketball team when she was in high school. Her brother, Robert, and I were
drafted into the US Army way back in 1953 and we departed from Melbourne on the same bus
when we left to begin our tours of duty. Have I told you about my army career? Maybe later.
Anyway, seeing Patsy brought back memories of my high school athletic accomplishments. I
think I had better postpone that until later, also, but I promise I will discuss it in a few weeks.
Now, I know this will be a shock to many of you so you will just have to use your imagination.
When I was a boy in the fifth grade at Calico Rock Elementary school, I could have been the
poster child for the Charles Atlas enterprises. You know, the one who gets a face full of sand
that is kicked by the handsome big bully. Forget the muscular, athlete that I became. I was
a little, skinny kid. I had skipped the second grade so most everyone else in my class was a
year older than me. Also in my class was a boy that I believe had been held back so he was
probably two years older and a foot taller than I was. His name was Finis. Now Finis liked
to pick on me and I was afraid of him. About this time, I began to have stomach cramps. They
would start early in the morning and become very severe about the time to leave for school. I
would beg my mother to let me stay home from school and when she gave her OK, the cramps
eased up. This went on for quite some time with me missing several days of school. My mother
finally decided to take me to the doctor. After Dr. Noel gave me a cursory examination and
asked me a few questions, he made his diagnosis. I was wormy. The prescribed treatment was
a big dose of Castor Oil at night and a dose of Epsom Salt the next morning plus a couple of
Calomel tablets somewhere in between. After several trips to the outhouse, I was convinced
that no worm could have survived so I must be cured. I agreed to go back to school and the
first day at noon recess, here came Finis. He started shoving me around a little but he didn’t
notice my big sister walk up. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt, stuck her finger in his
face and said “you leave my brother alone or I’ll pound you into the dirt.” After she left,
Finis said “now you’re really in for it” but it never happened. Finis and his parents moved to
Chicago. My stomach cramps also went away. But that isn’t the end of the story.
I always wondered what became of Finis. Then one day I was reading the local newspaper
when there was Finis’ obituary. It listed his home as Calico Rock. I asked Nancy over at
the hospital if she knew about it and she said yes, that he had been here about two years and
had attended the Methodist church on occasion. I wonder if he was ever in the store. I don’t
think he was afraid I might do him some bodily harm. After all, Nancy said he was a big man.
Seriously, I wish I could have been given the opportunity to forgive him for making my life
miserable a long time ago. Who knows? We might have become friends. So, to paraphrase
a great Neil Sedaka song, “Growing up is hard to do”. And that’s all there is for this time
so reporting from the worm-free capitol of Arkansas, this if Reed. Bye for now!!!
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