Sunday, May 13, 2012
WAS BOB A CHOIR BOY IN HIGH SCHOOL?
My senior year in high school had a number of highlights, one of which was how I scored high on the Chemistry test. I had other interests in high school and had precious little time for Chemistry. I was concerned about going into the service following graduation. I had heard that if you were going to go in, you would get your diploma. Quite a risky assurance, but school was out for me. The Chemistry test day arrived, and I sailed right into it although I had to be the dumbest, and least prepared of the college prep crowd. The test was multiple choice, and since I didn’t have a lot of choices, I left lots of answers blank.
Came time to correct the tests, the teacher passed the tests back to be corrected by students as he read the answers. No one corrected his own test. Maybe because of clean living or divine intervention, my test wound up in the hands of beautiful girl who sat up in front. I never had met her, or been in her company, or maybe she had a secret crush on me, or whatever, but as the teacher read off the answers, she filled in all the questions I had left blank. The teacher was stunned by my great showing on the test, and he said, “What happened to you, Noonan?” Always ready with the correct line, I replied, “Guess I got lucky.” He never knew how lucky I got. The girl who salvaged a passing grade for me never mentioned it and never even spoke to me about it. I would have been appreciative. In fact, I still am.
I had no guardian angel in my college English class, however. I can still see my teacher, a favorite of mine, stomping down to my desk where most of the time I was looking out the window watching things unfold on South Main Street. “Robert, do you think you are going to pass this course?” I advised her not to worry, it would be no problem to me—then resumed looking out the window. I think I misjudged her. Not only did I flunk the course, I spent half my time in the office of the Vicde Principal. On top of that, I had to take another credit and was placed in a General Biology class which had alredy enrolled every wise guy and comedian in the school, I loved it. Maybe I shouldn’t have been college prep, there was no fun there. By the way, I did graduate, got my diploma, and entered the Navy.
BOB GRADUATES!
Came time to correct the tests, the teacher passed the tests back to be corrected by students as he read the answers. No one corrected his own test. Maybe because of clean living or divine intervention, my test wound up in the hands of beautiful girl who sat up in front. I never had met her, or been in her company, or maybe she had a secret crush on me, or whatever, but as the teacher read off the answers, she filled in all the questions I had left blank. The teacher was stunned by my great showing on the test, and he said, “What happened to you, Noonan?” Always ready with the correct line, I replied, “Guess I got lucky.” He never knew how lucky I got. The girl who salvaged a passing grade for me never mentioned it and never even spoke to me about it. I would have been appreciative. In fact, I still am.
I had no guardian angel in my college English class, however. I can still see my teacher, a favorite of mine, stomping down to my desk where most of the time I was looking out the window watching things unfold on South Main Street. “Robert, do you think you are going to pass this course?” I advised her not to worry, it would be no problem to me—then resumed looking out the window. I think I misjudged her. Not only did I flunk the course, I spent half my time in the office of the Vicde Principal. On top of that, I had to take another credit and was placed in a General Biology class which had alredy enrolled every wise guy and comedian in the school, I loved it. Maybe I shouldn’t have been college prep, there was no fun there. By the way, I did graduate, got my diploma, and entered the Navy.
BOB GRADUATES!
# posted by Noonski @ 5:05 PM 
