EDS5
Lunch was a new experience for us. Each class had a certain time to go to the cafetorium. It was lunch time that gave us our first chance at responsibility and recognition as towel monitor. It was a great honor to be named towel monitor. The towel monitor handed out paper towels to the rest of the class just before lunch. There was a long porcelain sink just outside the cafetorium doors. It had six sets of faucets with soap dishes and each kid had to wash his or her hands before lunch. The towel monitors stood at each end of the sink next to the paper towel dispenser and gave each kid a towel after they washed their hands. The teacher chose the monitors and you had to behave in class and do all your work to be chosen. I had my first attack of wanting to fit in with my friends in the first grade in the lunch room. I had a lunch box, complete with a thermos bottle. All I needed for lunch was in that box every day; a sandwich, a bag of chips, a piece of fruit, usually an apple, cookies, and milk. A lot of the kids bought the school the lunch or brought their lunch in a paper bag and bought the half pint of milk. Those of us who had complete lunch boxes went to our assigned table and started eating. We really didn’t have any choice of who we sat next to. If our friends were in line for lunch or milk, they came to the table later and might not be able to sit next to us. Plus, they could talk to each other, or joke with each other, or punch each other while they waited in line, and I was eating my lunch. I wanted to talk and joke and punch at the table, but it wasn’t allowed. My mom thought I was crazy when I asked her if I could buy my lunch every once and while or, at least, buy milk. By the way, lunches cost thirty cents and a half of pint milk cost six cents. I just wanted to talk to my friends in line, but I didn’t tell her that. After about two months I, accidentally, honest, broke my thermos. Then, I had to stand in line to buy milk and I talk with my friends.
After lunch came the worst part of the day,,,nap time. Thirty-one kids lying on the floor on blankets or quilts, all over the room between desks. Thirty-one kids, flat on the floor, with no pillows, wide awake at nap time. You tried to get next to a friend so you could whisper during the longest five hours of the day. Actually, it was about forty-five minutes to an hour. Would you believe some of the kids actually fell asleep? It’s true! But not me! Never!
After lunch came the worst part of the day,,,nap time. Thirty-one kids lying on the floor on blankets or quilts, all over the room between desks. Thirty-one kids, flat on the floor, with no pillows, wide awake at nap time. You tried to get next to a friend so you could whisper during the longest five hours of the day. Actually, it was about forty-five minutes to an hour. Would you believe some of the kids actually fell asleep? It’s true! But not me! Never!
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Wow, all boy to be sure. ((hugs))