MY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES-PART 3

Fellow hubbers in Part 2 of this series of Hubs I presented one of my real life examples of wisdom. My dear late father, G. Kenneth Whitworth, and dear late mother, Barbara May Whitworth taught me this lesson. As I promised in part 2 this is an example of wisdom imparted to me by my big brother, Kimmie (Kenneth Kimberly), who was almost 12 years older than me, and big sister, Barbette (Barbara Etta), who was almost 8 years older than me on the date of my birth 9/11/1946!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One thing I want to make very clear right up front is there is nothing feminine about my brother having the forename (middle name) Kimberly. My mother almost killed a lady once for making the suggestion that naming a boy Kimberly was feminine. Mom pointed out that it was always proper to use a surname as a forename and that was that!!!!!!!!!!!!

Due to the readily apparent difference in age between me, and my siblings they were almost like a second set of parents, and they imparted their wisdom to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was almost like an only child, and I was spoiled rotten!!!!!!!!!!

 

Dad was a nickname machine, and we all had them. I was Tuck, or Tommy Tucker. Every child and most adults who frequented the B&K Market had a nickname given to them by Dad. I will here forth refer to Kimmie as Kim and Barbette as Butch as proclaimed by Dad!!!!!!!!! I took up the mantle as a nickname machine from Dad as my daughter Tracee is Hoog, and Jennifer is Mump, but that will be the subject of some future hub!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some of my earliest memories involve being taught important life lessons by Kim, and Butch. Both taught me the importance of being understanding with my friends and family, and not to be impulsive in my behavior. The use of violence to solve disputes is useless and won’t solve the problem!!!!!!!!!!!

Kim related the first example of this to me when I was about 6 years old, and he had just graduated from Moundsville High School. He was heading to college at West Liberty State College to learn to be a teacher. His girl friend dumped him for a friend of his, and although he was very angry he didn’t follow the normal course of events in this area, and didn’t want to fight his friend over a woman. Kim told me that if she had wanted to stay with him she would have done so, and it wouldn’t accomplish a thing to start a fight over the loss of her, and then lose a friend also!!!!!

Butch reinforced this concept a few years later when I asked her about the fact that two boys were fighting over her. She told me, “They’re wasting their time fighting. I know who I want, and the fight will solve nothing.”!!!!!!!!!!!

These instances above occurred in the area of 1952 to 1955 when I was 6 to 9 years old. My own occurrence of this nature was soon to come in 1958 to 1959 when I was 12 to 13 years old. All over a girl I was taken with Barbie Rogerson, and my friend and basketball teammate Bob Scanlon.

As those of you who have read my previous hub, “Moundsville A Town With Special People-Part 1” already know I moved to Glen Dale Heights in 1957. During previous years in Sanford Grade school I had taken oboe lesson from the Moundsville High School band director who traveled around Marshall County teaching lesson to all grade school students. During the summer of 1957 we had summer band lessons and I spotted two beauties from Glen Dale, and I knew we would be moving that fall as Dad had started building the new house that spring. Well fall arrived, and even though the house wasn’t quite ready to move into, I started Glen Dale Grade School that fall anyway in 6^th grade. I rode the “rapid” transit system bus from its 2^nd Street stop one block from my house on Meighan Ave. to the intersection of 7^th Street and Wheeling Ave. in Glen Dale, which was a block from my new school.  The home trip was vice versa.

 

The two beauties I mentioned were in school, and Barbie was in my 6^thgrade class, but Helen was an older woman in the 7^th grade. Regardless of the huge age difference Helen became my first girl friend at Glen Dale Grade School, and we got along fine for about 7 months (a lifetime in the mind of an 11 year old boy). After Helen, and I parted ways I set my sights on Barbie for the next year at school, as I didn’t want my summer vacation tied up with girls.

 

 

Fast forward through the summer of baseball, fishing, camping, hiking, etc, etc, and the 7^th grade year began. There she was, the girl of my dreams, Barbie in Mrs. Walker’s 7^th grade class. Our “romance” started off with small talk and dancing at school dances and many other romantic things like that. We were in MYF and Sunday school together also, and how could it get any better than that. We were never officially a couple as we never went steady, but in my mind Barbie was mine for time and eternity.

 

Let’s back up to 6^th grade where Bob was my friend and teammate in basketball. We got along swimmingly and never had a dispute about a thing. This carried on throughout the summer and into 7^th grade where Bob was also my classmate and teammate. Bob had really grown quite a bit over the summer and was now our starting center while I had moved from the small forward to guard position to which my small stature was suited.

I can’t point out one particular moment in time, but I noticed a transition. Barbie, and Bob were paying quite a bit of attention to one another and I seemed to be becoming the third man out.  This trend continued throughout the remainder of the 7^th grade year and it became apparent that Bob, and Barbie were an official couple and I had been kicked to the curb by the summer of 1959.

 

This was a serious event in the life of a 12-year-old boy, and all my friends reminded me of the protocol involved in such a serious breach of conduct on the part of a buddy, and teammate. Everyone became a mini-Don King in their quest to promote a fight between Bob, and I for this heinous crime of treachery. I must admit my competitive juices were flowing, and the egging on of every single person I knew was an incentive towards action of a violent, and physical nature.

 

The exact details of the sequence of events escapes this old mind at the present time, but the rumble of honor was scheduled for Barbie’s front yard one balmy summer day in summer of 1959. Bob, and I had been on speaking terms and had maintained a civil attitude with one another, but the die had been cast. We would meet on the field of honor to battle for the love of this fair maiden in the mores we found ourselves trapped within.

 

I have told you of other real life examples of wisdom and learning I have gained from family and friends in my journey throughout my life. My big brother, Kimmie and big sister, Barbette were great influences on my wisdom and learning throughout my life and this was one of those seminal events where their advice, and wisdom of long ago (remember 1952-1955 to 1959 is eternity to a 12 year old boy) came to my rescue!!!

That along with the fact that Bob’s growth-spurt had made him into an intimidating giant to me caused grave misgivings in my mind to the advisability of going to fist city with this juggernaut. Adrenalin will only take you so far!!!! I had a plan based the sage advice of Butch and Kim and my own trepidation at being beaten to a pulp. On the Saturday of the rumble of Wheeling Avenue I went to Barbie’s house early. I asked her straight –out do you like Bob better than you like me. Her reply, while sad, brought a sigh of relief to my heart and soul. I had my escape from destruction handed to me on a silver platter. I incorporated the sage advice of Kim, and Butch along with my horror and told Bob, “ Hey man there is no sense to fighting over a matter Barbie’s already decided.” I was rewarded by Bob’s reply in the affirmative to my thoughts on this matter. The wisdom of our decision on the day, long, long ago, in 1959 is affirmed to this very day as Bob and Barbie still live in wedded bliss for time and eternity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I do intend to write future Hub’s on real life wisdom inspired by my family and friends as part of God’s plan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is if you want to hear them, just let me know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!