Only got bullied once. A group of girls smeared lipstick on me on the city bus home from school. Mom brushed it off as a minor thing and I soon forgot about it till now.... some 67 yrs later. I like yer Mom. That was comfort enough for a small thing that didn't seem small then. It fit the crime. I was happy to be ignored the rest of the time.
Thank you, Justin - for reading this the first time through and then again in this incarnation. Some of my early posts now embarrass me. I am slowly working through them to revise.
There was something in the paste. I remember the flour but something else like peppermint toothpaste? It stuck to the roof of my mouth. I still wouldn’t shut up. I had the gif of gab. The devil got into me. We had fixed desks bolted to wood floor. There was an inkwell. I liked the girl in front of me with ling braids. Yes the tip ends were put in the ink.
You are giving away your age here, Richard. And so am I for recognizing everything you say. Yes. Those paste-makers were perverse. They made it smell tantalizingly good and it had such a disappointing ( revolting) taste.
Who hasn’t heard, “Be sure your underwear are clean in case you get in an accident”? Parents know things. Things that help us. Only if we learned to listen earlier.
More humble, more kind, more better, less regrets...On this weekend thank you for taking the time to remember humble and kind, and yes, how to climb out of the taste of paste!
I believe that bullying is worse these days than ever before with online trolling emboldening kids to say things they may not have the nerve to say in person. I have also come to believe that girls are just as bad, if not worse than boys. Must be tough to be a kid.
Absolutely! Girls do a lot of bullying - often worse than boys, because they do it in packs. Mob mentality. I don't know what parents can do to protect them. Thanks for this comment, Jim. I made light of bullying in my post, but it was not funny at the time.
Parents don't always have an answer so they do the best they can. She could have said, "Some children are mean and teenagers are stupid." While probably truer, it probably wouldn't have made you feel better at the moment. Although if she added, "But I love you." It might have.
We share childhoods, Sharron. I too had a swarm of mean girls, all of whom were from the rich families on the hillside. So my chrisanemum perms and hand-me-downs went right along with the glasses I wore since I was four. To answer the teasing, my Dad said the same thing Katy told you. If they didn't like you, they'd ignore you. Never believed it either. No they were just plain mean.
As for the German saying you referred to, my husband told me another Teutonic adage that we laughingly rely on: That which does not kill you makes you stronger. I guess that means you and I are stronger for the teasing. And I also felt a lovely bit of schedenfreud when I saw the name of one of those mean girls on a bad check posting. It all sorts out in the end, doesn't it.
"She was our very best teacher, whose lessons were true and important. She taught us to be good people. Principally, she taught us the importance of kindness and humility, and we never forgot that."
Such terrific words, Sharron - a fabulous tribute to a wonderful woman.
Have you ever written a post about your mom? Or your dad? I know you've given us short views of them in the stories of your childhood - gardening, hiking, etc, but I would love to hear what you remember most about your parents as you were growing up. Things they taught you.
Oooooh, now that’s an idea! They keep popping into my posts in one way or another already, but I haven’t done a whole post about them. I laughed the other day - Dad had unearthed some old photographs of the two of them, and gosh, they were (and still are!) such a gorgeous couple. ‘Oh, and this is Mummy in one of her LONGER dresses’, he told me as he showed her a picture of her with legs almost up to her eyeballs! That was the early 1970s, and her dress was very short indeed.
(Mum, if you’re reading this, sorry! Blame Sharron…..! 😉)
I hear my granddaughters quoting little “wisdoms” that sound familiar. They came through my mother, and through me, to 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 mother. My daughter 𝙬𝙖𝙨 listening, after all! I just hope that they gave her some comfort for those difficult days, then 𝙖𝙣𝙙 now. Thanks for such a thoughtful look at those “mom-isms”, through the eyes of a child.
Beautiful! And so true.
Thanks for reading, David! I am sure you remember mom's lessons, too.
Mums know stuff! Fact!
With very few exceptions. Goodness how I miss her.
🤗 💛
Only got bullied once. A group of girls smeared lipstick on me on the city bus home from school. Mom brushed it off as a minor thing and I soon forgot about it till now.... some 67 yrs later. I like yer Mom. That was comfort enough for a small thing that didn't seem small then. It fit the crime. I was happy to be ignored the rest of the time.
Yes, I , too, preferred being left alone, Kate. Still do.
What a great picture of Katy!
When I was in grade school, I had buck teeth and wore my pants like Ed Grimley. Strangely I don’t remember getting teased. Much.
Great self description. I can see you clearly, John. I loved the added last word - Much. Tells the tale.
I love how her advice comes full circle. Beautifully written, Sharron!
Thank you, Justin - for reading this the first time through and then again in this incarnation. Some of my early posts now embarrass me. I am slowly working through them to revise.
There was something in the paste. I remember the flour but something else like peppermint toothpaste? It stuck to the roof of my mouth. I still wouldn’t shut up. I had the gif of gab. The devil got into me. We had fixed desks bolted to wood floor. There was an inkwell. I liked the girl in front of me with ling braids. Yes the tip ends were put in the ink.
You are giving away your age here, Richard. And so am I for recognizing everything you say. Yes. Those paste-makers were perverse. They made it smell tantalizingly good and it had such a disappointing ( revolting) taste.
I’d say two mints in one minute; that’s all it took to stick together the old times while the class waited for the bell to ring for recess.
Who hasn’t heard, “Be sure your underwear are clean in case you get in an accident”? Parents know things. Things that help us. Only if we learned to listen earlier.
Oh, yeah. I remember that one. And wait an hour before going back in the surf after eating...
Boy/Girl Scouts “be prepared “. Crawl under a desk for protection when a bomb dropped.
They terrified us in 1955...
The places we go. Ahhhh.
More humble, more kind, more better, less regrets...On this weekend thank you for taking the time to remember humble and kind, and yes, how to climb out of the taste of paste!
It just smelled so edible. Didn't it?
It was the aroma, or was it???
Peppermint smell - but horrible taste
I don't remember the peppermint, but the texture....eeeeugh
I believe that bullying is worse these days than ever before with online trolling emboldening kids to say things they may not have the nerve to say in person. I have also come to believe that girls are just as bad, if not worse than boys. Must be tough to be a kid.
Absolutely! Girls do a lot of bullying - often worse than boys, because they do it in packs. Mob mentality. I don't know what parents can do to protect them. Thanks for this comment, Jim. I made light of bullying in my post, but it was not funny at the time.
Parents don't always have an answer so they do the best they can. She could have said, "Some children are mean and teenagers are stupid." While probably truer, it probably wouldn't have made you feel better at the moment. Although if she added, "But I love you." It might have.
And she always did. Thanks, Mark
We share childhoods, Sharron. I too had a swarm of mean girls, all of whom were from the rich families on the hillside. So my chrisanemum perms and hand-me-downs went right along with the glasses I wore since I was four. To answer the teasing, my Dad said the same thing Katy told you. If they didn't like you, they'd ignore you. Never believed it either. No they were just plain mean.
As for the German saying you referred to, my husband told me another Teutonic adage that we laughingly rely on: That which does not kill you makes you stronger. I guess that means you and I are stronger for the teasing. And I also felt a lovely bit of schedenfreud when I saw the name of one of those mean girls on a bad check posting. It all sorts out in the end, doesn't it.
Perfect justice. I love it. I think you and I were twins separated at birth.
Justice can be slow and most of the time, we never see it happen, but when it does, it makes my day. And indeed, there's something cosmic about us.
Moms are the best!!
Right on.
Beautiful. Thanks.
Hah! Thanks Yael.
Really moving, Sharron. Thanks for sharing this, along with the wonderful picture.
"She was our very best teacher, whose lessons were true and important. She taught us to be good people. Principally, she taught us the importance of kindness and humility, and we never forgot that."
Such terrific words, Sharron - a fabulous tribute to a wonderful woman.
Have you ever written a post about your mom? Or your dad? I know you've given us short views of them in the stories of your childhood - gardening, hiking, etc, but I would love to hear what you remember most about your parents as you were growing up. Things they taught you.
Oooooh, now that’s an idea! They keep popping into my posts in one way or another already, but I haven’t done a whole post about them. I laughed the other day - Dad had unearthed some old photographs of the two of them, and gosh, they were (and still are!) such a gorgeous couple. ‘Oh, and this is Mummy in one of her LONGER dresses’, he told me as he showed her a picture of her with legs almost up to her eyeballs! That was the early 1970s, and her dress was very short indeed.
(Mum, if you’re reading this, sorry! Blame Sharron…..! 😉)
My fault. Now let’s see those legs in that miniskirt!
I’ll seek permission! Oh, and I’ll have to unearth the photograph, which I suspect has been hidden somewhere very, very safe! 🤣
I hear my granddaughters quoting little “wisdoms” that sound familiar. They came through my mother, and through me, to 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 mother. My daughter 𝙬𝙖𝙨 listening, after all! I just hope that they gave her some comfort for those difficult days, then 𝙖𝙣𝙙 now. Thanks for such a thoughtful look at those “mom-isms”, through the eyes of a child.
👍🏻🩷