Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Why Tom T. Hall is sending me to therapy....

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Let's go back in time. 

...WAYYYYYY back...

we're talking in the 70's.  Late 70's - but still the 70's.

I was in first grade.  Miss Clayton.  She was the first grade teacher I had that I loved.  I remember she was a "Miss" & not a "Mrs." like the other first grade teachers & wondered why she wasnt married because she was pretty wonderful.  Aren't all first grade teachers wonderful?  After all, I loved school & loved to learn & loved everything about first grade - so of course, Miss Clayton was the cherry on top of the educational sundae.

...until one day...I saw her ugly side...

After lunch, we would have "music time" & she would put on a vinyl album... yes... the school assigned record player of the day - they were massive!  And you can imagine the sound quality.  But it was great after our lunch time & our milk break, we would have some time to sing along & clap our hands to some music.  First grade songs are always so catchy & peppy & full of fun.

So tell me why.... WHY????... one day, she put on Tom T. Hall.

I can honestly remember this like yesterday.  My despise for country music started young I assume.

At the end of the song, Miss Clayton said, "Did everyone love that? Want to hear it again?"

I raised my hand & she called on me, "Yes Rebecca?"

"Miss Clayton - I did not like it & dont want to hear it again".... momma didnt raise someone to hold back the truth. 

(I just saw Tom T. Hall got inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame this year... hate I missed that)
Well, Miss Clayton must not have been in a good mood because then she told me, "Well, Rebecca, you can wait out in the hall" - & she told me to take my chair out in the hallway & wait while the class listened to the song again.

Now, I'm the kid who NEVER got in trouble in school...

I dragged my chair in front of the class out the door... the drag of shame is what I call it now.  All the other students staring like, "Ohhhh - you shouldnt have said anything"

I remember sitting in the hallway hearing all the clapping & singing again... of that horrible man, Tom T. Hall.

When the song was over, Miss Clayton came & got me. 

OK - this enforced me to never do anything wrong again in school. Sitting in a hallway by myself in a 100 yr old school building was just plain creepy...especially for a 6 yr old.  I never wanted to have to do the "drag of shame" again... it formed me into a pretty good student the rest of my 12 years.

....on the other hand... I cringe anytime I hear the sounds of Tom T. Hall.  Its actually a running joke in my family.  If he was ever on The Grand Ole Opry, my parents would yell for me to come see... even up until I got married & moved out - I'd still get a phone call letting me know what he was on.  And even now, I'll still get a random email every now & then with a You Tube video of, as I call him, he-that-should-not-be-named.  Forget Voldermort... Tom T. Hall earned that title YEARS ago...

See the effect a teacher has?  34 years later & I'm still needing therapy over it all.....

7 comments:

  1. Who the blazes is Tom T. Hall?

    BTW, we have chairs in our hall.

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  2. I'm more of a Conway Twitty fan myself...

    Isn't it something, the things you remember so clearly? I can't believe she made you do that!

    The scars we bear from our childhood...not horrific, this one, but a scar just the same.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This was such a funny memory. I have no idea who Tom T. Hall is either, but I'm headed to Google him right now. Maybe there'll be something on YouTube as well!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, she must have really loved her some country music!

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  5. You really insulted her musical tastes there didn't you? Great story... Sorry about the running joke though, that must get REALLY old!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wasn't the time before teachers were scared to do anything to embarass a student terrible for the ones who ever made their teacher angry?

    hi from MK's

    ReplyDelete
  7. Why ya gotta be such a Hater?
    To be honest, I wasn't sure who he was so I just Youtub(ed) him and he's not so bad. Not the greatest but not so bad.
    I love old country music but I can't stand the stuff they put out these days.
    m.

    ReplyDelete

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