The 1979 Eclipse

We're going to have a big, bigger than huge eclipse tomorrow. I remember the last eclipse. It was in 1979. I was teaching at Rock Island Alleman High School. The classroom, my history class, was situated on the second floor of the building directly facing the path of the sun. I forget the time of the big event was going to occur but that's not the point. It might have been around 2 pm.

I was 33 years old, still young enough to be an immature boob. In other words, I loved to be clownish.
Earlier that week I asked one of my students, Mike Spalding, to take a note for me to the head football coach, Mr. DeSutter, who taught down the hallway. Mike was a freshman in my western civ class. He was a nice little guy and, how do I write his, sort of a geek---but he was a nice kid. Anyway, I wrote on the note, "Mr. DeSutter, would you be my dad?". Then I stapled it, gave it to Mike, told him to run it down the hall the hall and wait for an answer. Folks, it was a classic move.

DeSutter was rolling on the floor in laughter.

The day prior to the eclipse I was reading the Quad-Cities Times newspaper. There was a quite large picture, maybe 3x5 of Hugh Beaumont aka Ward Cleaver announcinng his death. Mind you, it was in the newspaper. I took a pen and wrote, "Best wishes, Mr. Loehrer, hope to see you soon" And my junior history class believed it was the real deal. Gosh, I love kids.

So, the day of the eclipse I had a shoe box, gray cardboard on the inside. I fashioned two pair of what looked like cardboard glasses sans lenses. I told the kids they were magical. I'd purchased them downtown and I wanted them to get the full effect of the eclipse. You wouldn't believe how many kids wanted to stick those things on their noses and over their ears. It about killed me to say it was a joke but I did.

I mean, who wants to get sued. I've got news for you if you don't already know. Kids are the same today as they were in 1979--------naive, trusting and very nice.