1965

It was the first day of the 7th grade in 1965 and everything was amplified. The high school held two thousand students. The hallways exploded with students changing classes. The senior class numbered more than five hundred. This was a far cry from the Liberty School where classes held maybe fifteen students per grade.

I felt small, intimidated, yet I was fascinated with this new adventure. I was interested in the seniors. The varsity football players looked like giants to me.  While still in elementary school, I would go to the Friday Night games and hoped someday I would be on that field. Now I was among these jocks, seeing them up close.  In my mind they were celebrities. I guess I had a touch of hero worship. Being an only child had me always wondering what kind of older brother I would choose.

I managed to stay out of the way of bullies. Once in a while someone would intentionally bump into me and push me out of the way or knock the books out of my hands. That would change as I got older and stronger.  I became a harmless observer and found all these people an interesting study.

I was most intrigued with a couple of seniors who ate lunch at the same table I did. They were like the Ken and Barbie of their time. They seemed like the perfect couple. He was a varsity starter at tackle and she was one beautiful, adoring girl. I sensed their chemistry and I wanted to be in his shoes. Whenever I could, I would sit as close as I could get and watch them interact. There were other upperclassmen I studied, but these two seniors led the pack.

My house was five blocks from the high school, so I walked home after school. One day I recognized one of the school bullies, an upper classman, coming towards me. He shouted, “Hey you!  I ignored him until he came up close to me and said, “Didn’t you hear me asshole?  I am talking to you!”

He grabbed hold of me and when he was about to hit me, I heard a loud, commanding , deep voice exclaim, “Let him alone!” It was the lunchroom varsity jock, my hero, at 6 foot 5 and 245 pounds who rescued me. The bully melted away.

About a year ago I was reading the obituaries as a 72 year old man usually does. I came across Tom, the jock who had rescued me that day. I wondered what happened to Tom and here, I found his name in the obituary. The obit read that he had gone to college in Minnesota and was a starter all four years playing football for the Golden Gophers. He was an academic all American. After college he went on to Med School. It read that he touched many and how he contributed to his community north of Ambridge.

He would have been someone I would have picked for an older brother.  I know I will never forget him and that special moment in my life.