LateforSchool
Allmylife,I''vehadthisrecurringdreamthatcausesmetowakeupfeelingstrange.Init,Iamalittlegirlagain,rushingabout,tryingtogetreadyforschool.
"Hurry,Gin,you''llbelateforschool,"mymothercallstome.Iamhurrying,Mom!Where''smylunch?WhatdidIdowithmybooks?"
DeepinsideIknowwherethedreamcomesfromandwhatitmeans.ItisGod''swayofremindingmeofsomeunfinishedbusinessinmylife.
Ilovedeverythingaboutschool,eventhoughtheschoolIattendedinSpringfield,Ohio,inthe1920swasverystrict.Ilovedbooks,teachers,eventestsandhomework.MostofallIlongedtosomedaymarchdowntheaisletothestrainsof"PompandCircumstance."Tome,thatsongwasevenmorebeautifulthan"HereComestheBride."
Buttherewereproblems.
TheGreatDepressionhitthehardestatlarge,poorfamilieslikeours.Withsevenchildren,MomandDadhadnomoneyforthingslikefineschoolclothes.Everymorning,Icutoutstripsofcardboardtostuffinsidemyshoestocovertheholesinthesoles.Therewasnomoneyformusicalinstrumentsorsportsuniformsorafter-schooltreats.Wewww.edu800.cnsangtoourselves,playedjacksorduck-on-the-rock,andmunchedononionsaswedidhomework.
ThesehardshipsIaccepted.AslongasIcouldgotoschool,Ididn''tmindtoomuchhowIlookedorwhatIlacked.
Whathappenednextwashardertoaccept.MybrotherPauldiedofaninfectionafterheaccidentallystabbedhimselfintheeyewithafork.Thenmyfathercontractedtuberculosisanddied.Mysister,Margaret,caughtthesamedisease,andsoonshewasgone,too.
Theshockoftheselossesgavemeanulcer,andIfellbehindinmyschoolwork.Meanwhile,mywidowedmothertriedtokeepgoingonthefivedollarsaweekshemadecleaninghouses.Herfacebecameamaskofdespair.
OnedayIsaidtoher,"Mom,I''mgoingtoquitschoolandgetajobtohelpout."
Thelookinhereyeswasamixtureofgriefandrelief.
Atfifteen,Idroppedoutofmybelovedschoolandwenttoworkinabakery.Myhopeofwalkingdowntheaisleto"PompandCircumstance"wasdead,orsoIthought.
In1940,ImarriedEd,amachinist,andwebeganourfamily.ThenEddecidedtobecomeapreacher,sowemovedtoCincinnatiwherehecouldattendtheCincinnatiBibleSeminary.Withthecomingofchildrenwentthedreamofschooling,forever.
Evenso,IwasdeterminedthatmychildrenwouldhavetheeducationIhadmissed.Imadesurethehousewasfilledwithbooksandmagazines.Ihelpedthemwiththeirhomeworkandurgedthemtostudyhard.Itpaidoff.Alloursixchildreneventuallygotsomecollegetraining,andoneofthemisacollegeprofessor.
ButLinda,ourlastchild,hadhealthproblems.Juvenilearthritisin
herhandsandkneesmadeitimpossibleforhertofunctioninthetypicalclassroom.Furthermore,themedicationsgavehercramps,stomachtroubleandmigraineheadaches.
Teachersandprincipalswerenotalwayssympathetic.Ilivedindreadofthephonecallsfromschool."Mom,I''mcominghome."
NowLindawasnineteen,andstillshedidnothaveherhighschooldiploma.Shewasrepeatingmyownexperience.
Iprayedaboutthisproblem,andwhenwemovedtoSturgis,Michigan,in1979,Ibegantoseeananswer.Idrovetothelocalhighschooltocheckitout.Onthebulletinboard,Ispottedanannouncementabouteveningcourses.
That''stheanswer,Isaidtomyself.Lindaalwaysfeelsbetterintheevening,soI''lljustsignherupfornightschool.
Lindawasbusyfillingoutenrollmentformswhentheregistrarlookedatmewithbrown,persuasiveeyesandsaid,"Mrs.Schantz,whydon''tyoucomebacktoschool?"
Ilaughedinhisface."Me?Ha!I''manoldwoman.I''mfifty-five!"
Buthepersisted,andbeforeIknewwhatIhaddone,IwasenrolledforclassesinEnglishandcrafts."Thisisonlyanexperiment,"Iwarnedhim,buthejustsmiled.
Tomysurprise,bothLindaandIthrivedineveningschool.Iwentbackagainthenextsemester,andmygradessteadilyimproved.
Itwasexciting,goingtoschoolagain,butitwasnogame.Sittinginaclassfullofkidswasawkward,butmostofthemwererespectfulandencouraging.Duringtheday,Istillhadloadsofhouseworktodoandgrandchildrentocarefor.www.zycaihui.comSometimes,Istayedupuntiltwointhemorning,addingcolumnsofnumbersforbookkeepingclass.Whenthenumbersdidn''tseemtoworkout,myeyeswouldcloudwithtearsandIwouldberatemyself.WhyamIsodumb?
ButwhenIwasdown,Lindaencouragedme."Mom,youcan''tquitnow!"Andwhenshewasdown,Iencouragedher.Togetherwewouldseethisthrough.
Atlast,graduationwasnear,andtheregistrarcalledmeintohisoffice.Ientered,trembling,afraidIhaddonesomethingwrong.
Hesmiledandmotionedformetohaveaseat."Mrs.Schantz,"hebegan,Youhavedoneverywellinschool."
Iblushedwithrelief.
"Asamatteroffact,"hewenton,"yourclassmateshavevotedunanimouslyforyoutobeclassorator."
Iwasspeechless.
Hesmiledagainandhandedmeapieceofpaper."Andhereisalittlerewardforallyourhardwork."
Ilookedatthepaper.Itwasacollegescholarshipfor$3,000."Thankyou"wasallIcouldthinktosay,andIsaiditoverandover.
Thenightofgraduation,Iwasterrified.Twohundredpeopleweresittingoutthere,andpublicspeakingwasabrand-newexperienceforme.MymouthwrinkledasifIhadbeeneatingpersimmons.
Myheartskippedbeats,andIwantedtoflee,butIcouldn''t!Afterall,myownchildrenweresittinginthataudience.Icouldn''tbeacowardinfrontofthem.
Then,whenIheardthefirststrainsof"PompandCircumstance,"myfearsdissolvedinafloodofdelight.Iamgraduating!AndsoisLinda!
SomehowIgotthroughthespeech.Iwasstartledbytheapplause,thefirstIeverrememberreceivinginmylife.
Afterwards,rosesarrivedfrommybrothersandsistersthroughouttheMidwest.Myhusbandgavemesilkroses,"sotheywillnotfade."
Thelocalmediashowedupwithcamerasandrecordersandlotsofquestions.Thereweretearsandhugsandcongratulations.IwasproudofLinda,andalittleafraidthatImighthaveunintentionallystolensomeoftheattentionthatshedeservedforhervictory,butsheseemedasproudasanyoneofourdualsuccess.
Theclassof''81ishistorynow,andI''vegoneonforsomecollegeeducation.
Butsometimes,Isitdownandputonthetapeofmygraduationspeech.Ihearmyselfsaytotheaudience,"Don''teverunderestimateyourdreamsinlife.Anythingcanhappenifyoubelieve.Notachildish,magicalbelief.Itmeanshardwork,butneverdoubtthatyoucandoit,withGod''shelp."
Andthen,Iremembertherecurringdream-Hurry,Gin,you''llbelateforschool-andmyeyescloudoverwhenIthinkofmymother.
Yes,Mom,Iwaslateforschool,butitwasallthesweeterforwaiting.IonlywishyouandDadcouldhavebeentheretoseeyourdaughterandgranddaughterinalltheirpompandcircumstance.
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