For any readers who don’t know, this building was built in the ‘40’s I think, and had bare, wooden board floors. By the time I came along, they had seen many feet and much wear.
Now, to me, shorts and last day of school, together meant Summer and bare feet, so on the last day, I came to school bare footed.
The principal of the Elem. School, Mr. Hinson Griner, met me at the top of the stairs and told me that I couldn’t come in bare footed.
I objected strongly, saying that they had said we could wear shorts but they didn’t say we had to wear shoes!
A call was made to Daddy (we didn’t have a phone at our house in the country).
Boy! Was he mad! He called Burkhalter’s shoe store, and made arrangements for me to come get a new pair of sneakers, which were about $18 (as I remember).
This was VERY expensive, and at the beginning of Summer, so I knew that this was not good. I was told that I would walk to the store, get the shoes, and walk back to school for the rest of the day, then ride the bus home.
I knew I was in trouble.
To get to the shoe store, I had to pass the ↑Court House↑, where the Superintendent’s office was located.
This was Mr George Durrence. I got the idea to stop in there, and say how unfair I thought it was for them to require my family to buy new shoes just for one day!
What could it hurt for me to be at school for one day without shoes? (of course now, I know that the distinct possibility of splinters from the bare floors was too much risk, but on the other hand, living in the country and going barefoot for 3 months every summer, my feet were practically made of leather anyway).
By the time I got to the office door, I was trembling with fear, but I went in and in a very shaky voice, told who I was, and why I was there and not in school.
They thanked me, and I went on, got the shoes, then went back to school.
When I got back, Mr. Griner once again met me.
But, I had new shoes!
by
Jerry E Smith
©01/07/2022
Image of me in 4th grade, the others are sourced
