Personal History (1982) - Page 11

Dad was a great athlete in high school, lettering in basketball and football. He was careful not to make me feel as though I needed to play for him or do as well as he had done. Many times, at the end of the day, Dad would wrestle all us [kids] and give us a dry shave with the rough bristles of his chin if we lost. We started arm wrestling and always enjoyed Indian leg wrestling too. I was especially blessed because he always wanted someone to do his sports with. He bought me golf clubs and we would golf at Bountiful Springs Golf course. He overlooked the short balls and praised me for my scores, even though I didn't count any more than ten strokes per hole. He helped me to have patience and made me feel loved.

Tennis caught my interest and he lent me his racket until he helped me earn enough money to buy my own. Together we went to Wolfes [Sports] in Salt Lake [City] and got what I could afford, it was a gold aluminum racket that I never liked to use. He never complained when I continued to use his racket. With some training, I even became quite proficient with any racket and I was asked to participate in a tournament at Liberty Park. I only won the first round, but Dad was still there to cheer me on.

He [Dad] also taught me to work ... or tried [to do so]. He always had a janitor job or two to help supplement his income. At first he hired two older boys to help but let me come as I become less of a burden and more of a support. We would get up at 5:00 AM, or at times he would even let me sleep in and come back to get me around 6:00 when he could. Together we cleaned the indoor swimming pool, United Savings and Loan, and the Bountiful Library. Some days, when it was cold and getting up was too hard [for me] to do, I remember acting asleep or playing like I hadn't heard the car honking outside. I feel badly now but many times he would give up [on me] and go on to clean without me. When I did go, and even when I didn't, he was always coming home with fresh spudnuts from Carmacks as a treat. He was [a] diabetic by then but didn't often think of himself.

He used to tell me about his father and how poorly they got along. Even though Grandpa [Curtis] died when Dad was still young, he remembers being punished more than being loved. Because of mistakes his father made, Dad wanted to be our friend and [stay] close to our needs. He always brought a smile to us all when he would sing his dramatic songs. He knew he didn't sing well, but he was very energetic and loud.

I remember doing two things for lunch at Stoker when I was young. Mom would pack [a] lunch in my cowboy lunch box sometimes, and then later she let me come home to eat with her. We would have that time to be alone and together. Birthday parties also made our early years enjoyable. We could have a party on all [of] our even years (6, 8, 10, and so forth), and invite one person for every year we were old until we were twelve. I went to Deseret Gym one year and stayed at home the next. When we were invited to other's parties we were given $1.00 to shop with. My favorite gift was a camera from the five-and-ten store on Main Street [in Bountiful]. One year we even went with Mark Barnes to appear as birthday visitors at the Admiral Burney Caroon Show [a local children's show).

Sixth grade brought with it fears of junior high school and fears of the meanest teacher in the school, Mrs. Smith. I didn't look forward to graduating because the majority of my friends would be attending another school. There was a certain desire to grow up and a nervous excitement to enter my teens, but I couldn't help but be sad because of the stage I would be leaving. No more recess, no more singing Christmas carols around the school Christmas tree, and soon I would be receiving clothes instead of toys on Christmas Day. Next Page