Junior high school is not the most graceful time of life, and I’m not a bully, but I loved to play. The PE teacher, Ms. Jean was so sweet, she was my favorite teacher.
One day we learned all about the bow and arrow. To string a bow you place the end of the bow on the ground and hold it tight against the arch of your left foot. Next, pull the top of the bow down and while bending it, slip the end of the bowstring over the end of the bow. Then take the bow in your left hand and place the index and middle finger around the bowstring. Swing the left hand up in front of you shoulder high; pull the bowstring back near your right ear. This should be one smooth, fluid motion. The sharp end of the arrow rests on top of your left hand, while you fit the feathered end of the arrow onto the bowstring. Finally raise the bow, let go of the arrow, and hopefully hit the target.
I didn’t know Jane very well. She was a grade ahead of me and in my PE class. She was an albino; a person with white hair, milky white skin, and pink eyes. She was very white and I was very curious. I sneaked a peek at her, and saw her raise her bow, pull the bowstring back by her ear, hook her glasses and shoot them across the field! The glasses rotated in little circles as they flew into the air, but missed the target. The bell rang and the class ran to the dressing room.
The next sport we learned was soccer. Ms. Jean explained the rules and we got ready to play. Jane was on my team. The ball was put into play. Mary kicked the ball to me, I ran with it, and passed it to Jane. Jane was a little off balance. She planted her left foot, drew back her right foot and kicked her left foot out from under her. She fell on top of the ball. I hoped we were not being graded as a team. Once more we were saved by the bell.
The PE teacher decided that I was too rough for my classmates to guard me, so she played against me. I was delighted. I was going to show her how good I was. I had the ball and was running down the field. Ms. Jean went for the ball, and I knocked her down, ran over her and blacked her eye with my elbow. We both felt like crying. I loved this teacher!
The next subject we learned was First Aid. It was useful to know if you played against me. To stop bleeding you elevate the limb and apply direct pressure. An unconscious person, without a bleeding head wound, should have her head lower than her heart. Ice is applied for sprains and bruises. With this knowledge of First Aid, and a strong desire to stay out of my way, the class was prepared to survive Junior High School PE class.
Sister Paige Larsen—Email Excerpt
15 years ago
