curriculum. Essay and report writing were an integral part of instruction. She was a stickler for neatness, demanded impeccable handwriting, and insisted that students follow the proper guidelines of storytelling or report writing by answering the important questions of who, what, when, where, which, why, and sometimes how, in all written work. During a sixth grade science lesson with another teacher, I learned that if one parent has brown eyes and the other parent has blue eyes, that there is a one in four chance that the child will have blue eyes. I also learned that two blue eyed parents could never have a brown eyed child. I failed to understand this reasoning explained to me several times by science teachers throughout this year and other years, as the human body contains many chromosomes containing millions of genes connected to these chromosomes from past relatives.
Throughout elementary school, teachers at times would appoint two team “captains” to choose team members for sports or other activities. Repeatedly, the same few students were always last to be selected by their peers due to some perceived notion of some deficit of those children. Then one time when I was selected as team “captain” I choose one child who was always last to be selected, first. The child was elated and overjoyed but I was booed by my peers. Sympathizing with these few children and myself after this booing experience, one then thought that perhaps the teacher should select and assign team members.
Mother, father, brother, and I would somewhat regularly visit at a renowned military academy in the area. The grounds were lovely and provided an overlook of magnificent views of a river and valley. At this academy there were frequent concerts and football games that were scheduled on the weekends which were also open to public attendance. Nearby, there was a women’s college that mother wanted me to attend. Mother was not pleased with my idea of becoming an elementary school teacher citing a lack of jobs in that profession. Instead, she promoted the idea of becoming a nurse and marrying a cadet from the military academy. I liked this idea and decided that I may pursue this plan in my teenage years.
Mother and father planned with neighbors to spend a long August weekend with both families at a well known mountain resort a few hours from our home. Mother announced that there were children’s programs at the resort for brother and myself and the neighbor’s two children to participate in. With suspicion regarding the children’s programs, but still harboring a positive attitude, I departed with family and neighbors who were driving their own car, for this short vacation. As we neared the resort, we noticed a traffic slowdown. We began to look around and noticed the people in the cars and vans on the roadway. All were young people with many wearing anti-establishment clothing. Many of the men had long hair. Some of the cars and vans had overheated and sat at the side of the road. Some of the inhabitants of these vehicles, who were now sitting or lying on the grass, appeared to be under the influence of marijuana or other drugs as their behavior was erratic. Father was beside himself and wondered what the reason was for this unruly crowd. Mother turned on the radio only to find out that the Woodstock Concert was this same long weekend of our resort vacation. Father became increasingly nervous and agitated as we sat in bumper to bumper traffic. I was amused by this circumstance and found it to be odd and interesting. We finally arrived at the resort after hours and hours on the highway, almost missing dinner hour. Immediately, father and the neighbor with maps in hand, strategically