I was at a movie with my girlfriend Jean...and she was reading a telegram delivered to Loretta Young...her lover was killed in the war.
And I couldn't make out the writing
I couldn't read it. Yes, the doctor confirmed, I was near-sighted and would need glasses.
When I got my glasses, I was so thrilled I could see the individual leaves on a tree...and not just a big green mass.
We sat in double seats in 7th Grade and I was sitting with Rosie Iozzi. I noticed when I would copy the work from the blackboard, that she would squint and couldn't see...and had failing grades.
I didn't realize at the time that all glasses had a different prescription..so as soon as I copied the work on the board, I would hand over my glasses to her so that she could copy it into her notebook. Well, amazingly enough, we had a pretty close fit because it worked.
So for the rest of the year, I copied my work and passed my glasses on to her.
We never complained. After all these years, I'm not sure anything would have been done to alleviate the situation................these were dark depression years when deprived children got free milk.
My Father always worked...we were the lucky ones. We also had help in our house. A coalminer's daughter would live at our house and become one of the family. If we went to a movie...she went. These girls would stay with us until they married and we went to the weddings in a hall....their families were happy to have us because it was one less mouth for them to feed. I think we paid $3.00 a week...that was the going rate. My mother taught these girls to be good housekeepers. My sister and I still had to help with the dishes and make our own beds. We had the 'good life'.
Now that I look back at those bleak years, why oh why didn't I go to the principal or teacher and complain. It never even entered my mind. I think I have matured since then.
Today...I'm old and smart...and would certainly fight for the social issues of glasses. I look back at those times and I believe that's when I learned about sharing.
I wonder if Rose Iozzzi remembers those days...or if she's even still alive. I'm a member of United Order of True Sisters and one of the agendas of our budget is to buy eyeglasses for needy children.
2 comments:
DAUGHTER and she was paid $5.00 a week. She slept in and got up early in the a.m. to stoke the furnace (whatever that means). I loved each one we had. The longest staying one was Mary Maslanik. I can't believe I can still remember her name. Another, Agnes, explained the facts of life to me. What memories you invoked. . . .forever yours (as long as we live) Ruth Fagan
Oh, what a nice friend you were Hilda to your school chum. I remember inviting a little girl to my birthday party once from the neighborhood. most of my friends all went to the same Catholic school as I did, but her parents couldn't afford the book bill and other things the school charged so she went to the local public school. I never saw a difference in people. that's the way my sister and I were raised. Her family was poor and they had a lot of children. anyway, I inivted her and my "snooty", or snotty friends made a face when she came in..I sat with her all day and made sure she enjoyed herself and even the others said how nice she was..we became friends. (Pat)
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