I'm here to feed the alligator

Gravelly News by Glenna Goodson

An elderly man in N. Carolina had owned a large farm for several years. He had a large pond in the back, fixed up really nice, along with some picnic tables horseshoe courts, and some apple and peach trees. The pond was properly shaped and fixed for swimming when it was built. ----One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he had not been there for a while. He grabbed a five gallon bucket to bring back some fruit. ----as he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing. When he came closer he realized it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond. He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end to shield themselves.-----One of the women shouted to him "we're not coming out until you leave!"--The old man frowned and replied, "I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim naked or make you get out of the pond naked, "Holding up the bucket he said "I'm here to feed the alligator."

Before I write anything else this week I want to try to clear something up about my article last week when I wrote about FV kids were not like other kids and FV was not like other schools. I was NOT comparing FV to any other schools in this district.Did I compare FV to Ola and Plainview I did not.-- I know nothing about Ola and Plainview schools. I do not know anyone that teaches there and no kids that go there to school.Why would I compare FV to schools I know nothing about? I would not do that. You people that complained to my sister about my so called comparsion--read in my column something that was not there. When I say FV is not like other schools I mean because we are a country, isolated school. and country schools are different. Aren't Ola and Plainview country schools too? When I say we are not involved in drugs, I am not implying that others in Yell Co. are-.I read back over my article several times, and I do not understand how you could get that idea.I asked people in Russellville, Little Rock, Tulsa, Dallas, that read my column every week and I asked them what idea they got from that part of my article and they said that I was bragging on my school. And that was all I was doing and i will be doing that until the day I die. When I say FV is not like other schools, I thought of how my children went to a big city school in OKC. My younger son, when he was a senior, was walking down the hall at school and it was the beginning of intergation at our schools. A 16 year old black student shot and killed a white student right in front of Russells' eyes. A few years later, my grandson--Russell's son, was walking down the same hallway, same school and there was a boy holding a gun to a girl's head. The Principal talked the boy out of the gun.When I say FV isdifferent--we are different from city schools where there are shootings, drugs, and the whole scene. o why Ola and Plainview people thought I was comparing my school to yhours is beyoind me. on't look for what is not there---Where there are houng people I wish the best for that school because I love young poeople. i taught 10 year olds 30 years in OKC schools and I taught teen agers in my church for 20 years where I was responsible for 95 kids, so I would never trash young people, nor their schools. And by the way my sister never knows what I am going to write in my column, so don't get mad at her abolut anything I write. Kathy is so close mouthed--she NEVER tells me anything about school. If I ask her anything she just says "Everything is fine" Kathy is like that--she is not like her sister. Since I am honest about what I wrote I hope you will NOT believe I was comparing FV to any other school in Yell County. Are you still going to let me come to your ball games?

Lisa, Davis, F.V."s librarian, asked me to bring one of my little books, that my son poublished on the inter-net for me. I was glad to bring it to the library and I hope Lise and the kids enjoy the book. In walking down the hall Erica Broussard came running to greet me. I was so glad to see Erica back in FV cause she left for a short time last year. Erica says "Are you coming to see me play basketball?" and I said of course I was. She said, Mrs. Goodson are you ging to sub us and I told her I was too old--she says "We would love you Mrs. Goodson--I subbed Erica and that class when they were in 3rd grade for several times and I loved those kids--they still come and hug me and tell me I was such a good teacher to them. I told Erica that I was sure the kids would have me run off before the day had ended.

I am so glad to welcome Bob Anderson as our FV representative on the school board. Bob is very intelligent--keeps up with the law and rules and we can trust him to be a friend to our kids. He says ,"I am for the kids and what is best for them.": Hurrah for Bob--isnt that what it is about --the kids.

Mary Powell called me and I was so glad to hear that the cheer leaders at FV are sponsoring a cook book of receipes to be given by former graduates of FV. Doesn't that sound fun?It is planned for the receipe book to have 150 receipes, Also the person submitting the receipe can print a memory of FV we have. There will be a sheet at the Oct. 11 FV reunion for people to pre-order the receipe book, The book will be $10 and if it is to be mailed, there will be an extra $3 to pay for the mailing. Former graduates of FV get your favorite receipes ready. They would especially like receipes from the 40's and early 50's when Mary says people tell them the cooks at that time had such delicious home made receipes they used. Also I learned from Mary that her daughter Brittany is still in Iraq and here I thought that girl was discharged and going to school at Tech but she had to go back to Iraq. But Mary says she will be back in December and hopefully she can be discharged then .

Billy Jack Bogle's sister, Detonne of Houston had to evacuate because of Hurricane Ike. Her son and dughter in law are both doctors and have a clinic in Houston. Thankfully there was not much damage to Detonne's home--they got to come back this week.The power was back on and they were working to get the clinic usable for their patients.

I heard on TV about Little Rock getting ready for the State Fair. It made me remember that the year I taught at FV--52--53 I took my 5th graders to the State Fair. The school bus took us.You know I was only 20 years old and obviously had no fear or dread---by the time I started teaching in OKC I would never have been responsible for 13 fifth graders at a state fair. I remember we had a wonderful time--no accidents no mishaps--And I lost no one--except Sammy Turner--and I really did not lose Sam--knowing Sam as I did I knew he had just decided to slip away a bit and would be back in a few minutes--and he was--no harm done. But of course if I had told Mr. Lowe, he probably would have had a fit but since Sam was fine , I did not see any reason to mention it!! I wonder if Sam remembers that day--it was a memorable day for me.

I want to close with a wonderful quote from a book called "See With New Eyes" given to me by Peggy Jeys. "There is nothing more healing to the sinful heart then to be fully known and yet fully loved."