Today is Brady’s first day of high school. He’s officially a ninth grader. Eva made the move from elementary to middle school last year so she knows the ropes. If Ruth and I were still working we’d be getting ready for our first day as well. Ruth would be dreading it, and I would be finalizing my opening remarks.
Once I hit Clara Barton Junior High, I hated the first day of school. Junior high was a melting pot. Students from several elementary schools merged into one junior high which meant meeting new kids from other schools. While I enjoyed creating new friendships, I hated the first role call in each class. There was always at least one student who didn’t know me and when he heard Tebo the teasing began. (Guys did the name calling. Girls were more refined.) I heard Tebone, Tebone steak, and the occasional Boner.
I heard similar nicknames on my first day of high school. The name calling subsided as I rose through the ranks. More students knew me, and those who didn’t moved on to other, more sophisticated, forms of entertainment.
By the time David, Elizabeth and Michael attended school, Tebo was their nickname. In fact the boys lost their first names for several years. They were just Tebo.
Thinking about Brady’s first day of high school sparked a list of other firsts.
First party: The first girl to invite me to a party was Marjorie L. She lived on the south side of Eleven Mile. It was Halloween. I dressed as a clown and was scared to death. We ate donuts, drank hot chocolate and bobbed for apples. Her older sister was dressed as a witch, and she did her best to calm my fears. She wore white gloves and took one off to wrap around my “too hot” cup of chocolate.
First dance: Lincoln Elementary sponsored after school square dances. I attended as many as possible during the fifth and sixth grades. We lined up – boys on one side and girls on the other – and counted off. I tried to jockey for position so I could dance with Diane P. or Diane S.
First kiss: The first girl I kissed was Diane P. We were at her house for her birthday party in the fifth grade. Diane, Diane S. Marjorie L.(the party girl), Floyd P, and Kirk M. all played spin the bottle. When it was time to kiss, each couple stepped into a closet and locked lips.
First girls: My first crush was Beverly L. She lived in Kentucky. The first girl I thought was cute was Linda B. The first girl I dated was Karen M.
First real job: I had several ways to make money. My first real job was working for the National Tea Company. They owned a grocery store called “National” a few blocks from my home. Early in my junior year I was called into the counselor’s office at Dondero and told that National was looking for stock boys. The counselor recommended me and all I had to do was show up. Jim P. and I were hired the same day. We started at $1.15 per hour.
First car: The first car I drove was my dad’s Corvair. It was a stick shift, and I had a difficult time learning how to operate the clutch. My first long drive was to Aunt Phillis and Uncle Harry’s house on the other side of Royal Oak. That car stalled several times as it jumped over and back with Dad in the front seat and Mom and the girls in the back.
First big purchase: I bought my first car in 1967. It was a brand new Ford Mustang convertible, three-speed, silver grey with a black top. I paid $2,700 with a monthly payment of $104.
First huge disappointment: I racked up a number of points on my driver’s license after I bought the Mustang. When my car insurance came due the rate increased to over $1,000. I couldn’t afford that so my dad drove my Mustang to work and gave me his 1963 Ford Galaxie. I drove that for over a year until the points went off my record and the insurance rate dropped.
Brady’s first day of high school will start a string of other firsts for him. I hope that he, and you, remember your firsts as fondly as I remember mine.
(Disclaimer: The pictures of the girls were taken while we were in fourth grade. They were much more mature when this whole “kissing” thing began.)