Now, as I have stated before, I was a trying youngster.  Going to school and gaining knowledge was no different. But here it was, my first day of school.  This was the first of many things,  my first pair of new shoes, my set of new clothes that were not hand me downs.  I was after all the fifth boy in the line of 6 boys.  The excitement was running high as we walked the 2 plus miles to school. My family was the last house on the road and as we journeyed on our way, we were joined by many cousins and friends.  By the time we were headed down the hill toward the middle of town, our numbers had swelled to almost 40 youngsters. The majority of the crowd were my relatives.  I guess you could almost say we were a clan coming off the mountain side. People stood on their porches and watched us go on by.  As a youngster, I thought this was awesome, they watched us go to school in awe. But later, I realized it was the only way to protect the articles on their lawns.  If it moved, we moved it.  Nothing in a mean sort of way, just out of fun, the excitement was overwhelming.

    Things went well for the most part of the morning.  Every once in a while bells would ring and people would fill the halls and go to another room.  We stayed in one room and just did out thing.  We were kindergarten kids and stayed in place for fear of getting lost, I guess.  But on one of these bell ringing episodes, I looked out the window and my crowd was going down the road to go home. This is where my problems began.

    My brothers and sisters were going home and so was I.  Soon began a struggle of will power.   I just got up out of my chair and walked to the door and proceeded to leave.  The nice teacher tried to explain to me that we would leave but at a different time.  My mind was made up, I came with my family, I am leaving with my family.

   The nice teacher suggested I should take a moment and have a little nap.  I knew deep inside just what she was trying to do.  She was trying to keep me captive.  That just is not going to happen.  So I waited and watched.  I could still see my family in the distance and knew soon they would be out of sight.  Like a wild animal, I jumped off my cot, ran for the door, out into the hall and almost to the main doors. But ahhh alas, she caught me.   I could see this lady was determined to keep me captive.

   I was going too get away one way or another.  I watched her, and waited.  The room was not that big and she had placed me in an area farthest away from the door.  Now was the time, she was not looking and thinks I am asleep.

  Like a bolt of lightning, I  for went the door. Down the hallway, out the main doors, through the parking lot and now the main road.  My tiny legs were going 100 miles an hour to catch my relatives. I could still see them and if I hurried I could catch them.

    She caught me.  This was not to my plan.  I called that teacher all the words I had heard my father use.  I thought it was quite the thing to do. Dad had used them when things went wrong, and wrong they were going.

   This time, the teacher never let go.  She took me to a room where there was a phone and called someone to come and get me.  When I got home, I felt victorious I had won.  But my brother explained to me that this was normal for my class to stay later and it was ok.  So from that day on I stayed like all the other kids did.  Only to realize this was the way that the most of my years at school would go.  I visited the principals room on a regular basis except 2^nd grade when I fell madly in love with Sandra.  Such a tiny little girl who stole my heart.  I did everything I could to impress her.  I got the best grades, did the fanciest drawings, all to please her. This romance did not last.  We moved that summer and my regular visits to talk with the principal again started.  It was not until I was a junior in high school that the teachers learned why I was such a problem.