A REAL GENTLEMAN

In the Second Grade, up in Detroit, we had a class project. The teacher, Mrs Sherman “The German”, (we kids used to call her) brought in a little portable stove She announced that we were going to make Rice Crispy Treats and Popcorn Balls.
We learned what ingredients would go into them, and all about the process of melting the marshmallows and adding butter and how it would stiffen up as it cooled.
We were all very excited.
Then she did something that I don’t suppose could ever happen again in a Second Grade class anymore…maybe not even an Eleventh Grade class…
Mrs Sherman announced she was going to pick two students to go to the store across the street to get the ingredients!
WOW!
Mrs. Sherman said there was a kid in the class that all the parents said was always very polite, always said “Please “ and Thank You” and even said ‘Yes Ma’am” and “No Sir” all the time, and that lid was going to represent our class at the store.
Who do you suppose that could be?
It was me!
See, I was recently moved to Detroit from Texas, and my Southern upbringing demanded a certain gentility that the other boys did not have. I hate to say it, but by the time I was in the fifth grade I was as big a punk as the rest of 'em.
But back to the story...


Mrs. Sherman then asked that I pick a partner to go with me.
I looked at the room…there was my best friend Greg, waving his arms like a madman…then there was Paul who always bullied me , smiling like he was my best buddy.
And Dave and Neil and Pete and Fred, all wanting me to pick ‘em so we could go to the store.
You know who I picked?
Lori Sandburg, the foxiest little Second Grader there could ever be.It was the most natural pick in the world.

At the store, after making our purchases, I must have said “Thank You” a million times.