Sixth grade was the class where I had the most friends and it was basically a great group of kids. What was strange was many of the girls were talking to me and seemed very friendly, though I really couldn't figure out a reason as I really hadn't known them well at all.

What was the strangest in present recollection was many of the people in that class would eventually form the basis of the people that I would care for or have feelings with, after I was reunited in high school. There were a few that the teacher was fond of, mostly girls. He had two pets; one girl called Debbie which Mr. Hudson referred to as Little Pollak and Karen, who he called, Big Pollak. It wasn't racial, but obviously based in both humor and affection.

Another of his pets was the tallest and most womanly girl in the class, Serena Howe. She was neat because she was heading off to Alaska as her parents were moving so that her dad could work on the pipeline. She was also one of the nicest. She left at the end of the year and everybody said that they would miss her and she signed her signature in our autograph books with, "Love Serena. Headed to Alaska $$"

I loved it! It seemed that every day there was a girl to talk to, Renee, Jackie, Rose, Laurie (who I sat next to) and Patty P; also there were a few guys that were in third, fourth and fifth grade classes, like Charlie and Richard. We would occasionally hook up on the weekend and do something or walk around. I also made a couple more friends from people that I met. We would adventure on the weekends, and occasionally we would sleep over at the other's house.

I don't recall too often that Jean had any objections and there were times that I realized that she was glancing over. I thought the walks home were always the best as that was proof positive that it was her that I truly loved and cared for. If you were from that class, for whatever reason you earned a place in my heart with rare exception.

As for Mr. Hudson, I enjoyed him as we learned a lot and enjoyably so, as he presented everything with humor in the class. That was most of the time, once he got totally frustrated and angry with us over our study habits; saying that he could get in trouble over this, he threw the curriculum out the window and spent two weeks to teach us how to study and learn. He considered that a skill set as well, one that we desperately needed.

It was obvious that he cared very much for us and those lessons were remembered throughout my life and became very important when I entered the field of the arts. It was not only the how to study, but how to self-educate based on one's need. Also stressed, was the importance of staying awake in life and looking at various things outside of one's interest. The amazing thing was, what he taught us was so uncomplicated. He taught so we would be educated, not for any assessment test; though he felt that those assessments were the best indicator that he had done his job. He said that he was proud of how far we came under him.

Not all people were friendly all the time though, especially in the importance of play. I had set behavior pattern on the playground and would usually get involved in a game of kick ball or dodge ball. Being small, I wasn't a big contender, but I did love when I succeeded. Basically we would try our best to cream each other as painfully as possible.

On the dodge ball court, the other side was an enemy to be eliminated, even declaring our friendships over. After the game was over, we were once again friends and talking, as that was necessary for the next game. There were times that we got tired or bored of this and I usually grabbed the jump rope and joined the girls or headed to the corner of the kick ball court that had a storm drain grate, where we would try to devise ways to lift out the coins that lay on the bottom of the drain pit and into our pockets.

The only play area of contention for me was the jungle equipment in the playgrund, which were steel fabrications above a bead of rocky sand. From second grade on, I loved going over there and climbing like crazy. I remember screwing up and climbing the chain ladder, hopping over the top to lose my grip and rid the chain down on my belly. Many of the pieces of equipment were made unavailable, until you were a sixth grader. When sixth grade hit, they closed that playground down saying it is considered now to be too dangerous for even us.

My fondest memory of play was when they pulled out the parachute during gym and we would play games with it. Even putting a person on it and shooting them into the air. There I could pick a point opposite of Jean and at least look at her without a reaction.

Occasionally Jean's friends would come around and we would all play together. I think Jean enjoyed that time, but she was very business-like and acted like she didn't enjoy it. Yet on the walks home, she said that she did enjoy it. I could only think, "What?"