Elementary School Years

I think I got my first bike, with training wheels, for Christmas in ‘52. It was pretty small, red and terrifying. Took me a while to get going on it. I recall riding it, losing control and going into a ditch. My second grade teacher was Mrs. Black. We actually went to school for a full day by this time. My elementary school, Edwards, was three blocks from our home and I walked to school. The challenge was to cross busy Lucas street without being run down. The school building was relatively old and not air conditioned. We had a huge, to me, playground with a couple of ‘jungle gyms’ and some really good swings. You would never see these at a school these days. We had a morning recess to play, we played outside after lunch and then we had afternoon PE – again outside, unless it was raining. On rainy days our teacher read stories to us. I walked or rode my bike to school every day. Interesting that just about everyone either walked or biked to school. There was no fear of child molesters or kidnappers. Also, I knew someone in about a third of the houses between our house and the school and could easily go to the door for a bandaid or to report a problem - never did.