3rd Grade
3rd Grade
No one bothered to straighten my bow. Peter Pan collars were
very popular growing up. Later I would gravitate toward angular, heavily ironed
collars. In high school I’d sew my own clothes. But for now I was stuck with
whatever my mother picked out for me. One time she took me shopping at
Elder-Beerman’s where I was forced to browse the chubby girl section. It took a while, but eventually I would
attempt to assert some autonomy over my clothes choices. Mostly I wore
hand-me-downs from my sister Nancy who was only one year older.
Case in point:
Though I was a slow reader, books became very important to
me. My teacher (I cannot remember a single teacher’s name) read Charlotte’s Web to the class. I can
still hear the sing-song back-and-forth lyricism in her voice as she read the
scene of the kids on the tire swing in the barn. I was confused by the ending
because up to that point no one had ever died in a book I’d read. Also I
thought the title should feature Wilbur. It would be later that I’d realize the
sacrificial heroics of Charlotte. She was a true friend.
Never diminish the importance of reading aloud to children.
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