Thursday, January 5, 2017

Throwback Thursdays - The Notebooks

 To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passsed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

During this period, Skip would have sessions with me. We would do chores together while he would comment about the difficult work was as to labor and how glad he was that he didn't need to do that for a living. He knew that I had dropped out and of course suggested I should consider going back. I was still young and etc., etc., etc.

Before the end of the play school, I told him that I would go back to school. He was happy and he told me that one of the things that the different works at the Center, himself, the boys workers, girls etc. had to pick one person and train them so that they could run the Center and they would then go and do the same thing in other areas.

On the first day in September that school opened, I went. I was directed to a room where other dropouts were sent. And have a talk with the teacher. The one that interviewed me said your marks are pretty good, let me go see if the director will allow you to go into the Junior class. He came back and said no. So the second time in my life I had to repeat a class again. That first time was in the second grade when I came down with yellow jaundice which kept me out most of the year. And I was glad that I didn't have to have same 2nd grade teacher. I didn't like her. I had to repeat the 2nd grade because I was out too long and missed out doing a lot of the work that was required.

My return to high school was uneventful. I had more study periods than others as I was given credit for some of the work that I had done. This gave me a break. In that I did not have to do a lot of homework as I would have had to do. So it got me to go to the Center at night. I also went to to the library and was able to go to the big one and and at night and I also picked out books for my father. He liked to read books written in Italian.

Skip kept me going with the Center. I also did audition for parts as the Center had a dramatics program. While it was a church at one time, the main area was one flight up and there was a stage which the Center used. In fact, the right and left pews were taken out and they built rooms on each side for various activities. We even had people coming, they were volunteers. They taught us how to fall when shot without hurting ourselves, or fighting without hitting the other person. Elocution, everything. We put on plays and blackouts. These were short plays that had a comical ending and the stage lights would go out. The school vacation was lots of fun at the Center. In the belfry, a radio station was set up and we had a chance to broadcast outside and inside the building itself.


9 comments:

  1. WOW! He was an actor in his younger days! That's so cool!

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    1. Dad was a ham in his younger and elder days. He loved the limelight and attention. When he retired, he did some community theater. He was part of the company in a production of Oklahoma. In his mind his part was as large as that of the lead, Curly.

      Dad also sang. A client of his owned a music store and as a thank you for work he did for her, she gave him singing lessons. He had a beautiful, tenor voice. He sang solos in the church choir. He also sang with the Goldenaires, the local senior center glee club. Later, he became the Goldenaire's director. He had a conductor's baton and I had him buried with it. I have no doubt he's directing the Heavenly Choir :-D

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  2. I agree, very cool! He was a very talented man! Good for him! Just read your comment back to Robin.

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    1. Hi Stacy. He was a talented guy. And he knew it, too. :-D

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  3. CJ...sounds like dad had a pretty good go of it, the second time around in HS....my grandfathers brother was brought to mind while reading this post; he dropped out of HS school to go to work because of the war; his family needed the money; he went back and got his GED at age 80 ! ♥♥♥ too bad there's no recordings {video } per say of your dad while at the center...that would be neat !

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    1. Hi Laura. That would have been cool to see. I do have VHS tape of performances the Goldenaires did around the area. I also went to see Dad in the productions of Oklahoma. We have some pictures and fond memories. Cuddle the Tabbies for me

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  4. What a fantastic end to this story you started last week. So glad your father went back to school and finished. Sounds like the second time around paid off for him, even if he did have to repeat the grade.

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    1. Dad agreed. Even though he had to repeat a year, going back to school paid off in the end.

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