Mr. Elkins
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SHS Memories povided 10/06/2017
- First the back-story. I transferred from Flaget to Shawnee at the start of 11th grade after the Bros of St Francis Xavier recommended my mom's hard earned tuition $s would best be spent elsewhere. Arrived at Shawnee & shortly there after suspended by MR Clem for cutting school. Some kids make bad/boneheaded decisions & that be me. “This life’s hard, but it’s harder if you’re stupid.” Should have graduated in 59 but it is what it is. Got over that hurdle & managed to do well enough over the next 2 yrs to graduate. Lots of stuff going around in my head but school... not so much. So here goes with 1959-60 as best I can recollect. There was this boy (?) I sat adjacent to in homeroom & he was a terrific artist. This guy had natural talent & did some absolutely terrific drawing. Speaking of art. One of my favorite classes was Art Appreciation & still enjoy visiting art shows & galleries. I'll disclose my favorite teacher/class last (just to add a bit of suspense). Shop class was interesting/fun except for the ever-present opportunity to maim yourself. Produced a decent trash can & foot stool so the time/effort spent was productive. Biology, still remember the text book with those transparent glossy drawings of the human anatomy. Chemistry, somewhat interesting except I am sensitive to smells/odors & that lab was stinkville. I was interested in German because I assumed my ancestors were German. Factually, some were but... thanks to -23 and Me- my DNA tells a more complicated tale. Also, deciphering the intricacies of der, die, das, dem etc... was sehr tough. The German did prove useful after Sam sent me to Deutschland. I was short changed in the math area so Algebra & its ilk was mostly a wilderness of abstract equations & confusing numbers. Still consider the hand held calculator to be one of mankind's greatest inventions. Why did I sign up for book keeping? Another bad decision or maybe needed the extra zzzzzzzzz. History was all good because I enjoy learning how we got to where we are today. Got to diverge a bit here. Although I lettered in track at Flaget never got into organized athletics at Shawnee. Earl (Buddy) Parr, myself & some other kids joined the Explorer Scouts at that church behind the school's parking lot. The troop leader was a very cool bachelor guy who drove a red/white 58 Chevy Impala convertible. We had a singing group & held practice sessions in Buddy's house. The troop ldr got us a few gigs at some local places incl the Richmond (?) Boat Club out on Old River Road. I never though we were that good but considering what passes for music today...Camping with the Boy Scouts/Explorers, sitting around a good roaring fire, still some of my favorite memories. In conclusion, the closing lines from one of my favorite poems by my favorite poet Robert L Frost:
- The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
- But I have promises to keep,
- And miles to go before I sleep,
- And miles to go before I sleep.
- American Lit; Hemingway, Robert Conrad; a story of two bros during the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland; The Most Dangerous Game & on & on.
- Thanks MR Elkins. You were always the best!