Book Entry 49: 1961 Knocked Unconscious at School

           It was the year of sixth grade.  We were running laps for PE.  I hated running laps.  Our teacher’s name was Mr.  Jericoff.  He said the last person finished would have to run again.  It was our last time around the field and I was almost the last person so I sped up as fast as I could.  I looked behind myself to make sure there were people behind me and when I turned my head forward again… kapow!  I ran straight into one of the poles used to hold up the high jumps.  I remember hitting it and I remember Mr. Jericoff and a couple of kids standing over me when I opened my eyes.  I had been knocked unconscious.  I had a bump the size of half a goose egg on the left side of my forehead.

          Mr. Jericoff walked me into the classroom while the other kids finished their run.  My head was throbbing.  I felt light headed and kept seeing little black specks floating around in front of me.  The final bell rang for the day and all the other kids began running for the door.  Mr. Jericoff said I’d better hurry or I would miss my bus.

          Mr. Lima, one of my friend’s dad, was my bus driver.  He looked shocked when he noticed my forehead as I got onto the bus.  He usually let me out at the Service Rd. corner but that day he drove down to my driveway and let me out.

          When I got into the house and mom saw me she was instantly mad.  She made me lay on the couch and put cloth with ice in it on my forehead.  Next she went to the phone and called the doctors office.  The nurse told mom to watch me through the night and not to let me go to school the following day

Next mom phoned the school and asked to speak to Mr. Jacobs, the principle.  Mom was still mad!  She told Mr. Jacobs I should not have been allowed to ride the bus home as I had to sit on the bus for forty minutes before it reached my house.  She told him the bus driver had more common sense than Mr. Jericoff did and Mr. Jericoff should be ashamed of himself.   

          Two days later when I went back to school I had two huge black eyes.  Mr. Jericoff did not allow sunglasses in his room but he never said one word to me about the ones I was wearing when I showed up.