Throwback Thursday - 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 passed 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:

We were also in the 3rd year of the Depression. I was 12 years old at the time. And things began going down hill at the house. My father's shop shut down and jobs were scarce in the tailoring business. Money was scarce. Our holidays were not the way they were and we wrote Santa Claus for gifts.

My father at one time said I was so fresh [ed: naughty] that Santa would only give oranges. On Christmas Eve there was a knock on the door. When my mother asked "Who is it?", and it was Santa. But I set up a holler. I said that is not Santa. It's Papa. I caught on as he was not a good actor. He tried.

The following year Santa came in the form of a package that the city raised for needy kids.

Things got bad and the schools lost their sports. I was looking forward to playing soccer ball. Due to the Depression, the City cut this sport out for grammar and junior high schools. And kept the high school sports.These sports football, baseball were open to the public which paid admission.

I was 12 years old and in the seventh grade. We had mixed classes. One thing that was different at the Donald McKay was that we changed classes and had a boy and girl student to assist the teachers in keeping the lines moving in the long corridors.

The monitors were elected by the class and a girl who took a liking to me enter my name as a candidate. I was not giving her any attention. /I made it clear by face and body language that I did not want anything to do with her. She was pretty but some what dense upstairs. Anyway, she was happy-go-lucky and liked by the girls and some of the boys.

My opponent was a well-liked girl, at least by the boys. The election was conducted by standing when the teacher called the names. My name was called first and most of the girls voted for me with some boys. And then those voting for the girl. I got the most votes. But the teacher selected the girl to to be the monitor. It wasn't the way elections were supposed to be run. It may have been that when practically all of the girls voted for me, she [ed: the teacher] seemed surprised. I suppose she felt with me out in the corridor with other girls passing by that a number might want to stop or flirt. Not very good. On the other hand, I was miffed and I id not think I was an idol.