Before I was a teacher…

I was a sailor.

We were a very unknown group of small sailors who fit nicely on small boats. We could sneak on a boat, do a job, and sneak back off….if you get my drift. We were wanted in eleven countries, and we had no fear. My cousin Linda, in the middle, was the ring leader. I was her right hand man/woman/kid, though I am actually on her left in the photo.  I don’t remember the curly headed blond, but I bet we shoved her overboard soon after this was taken, as I think she might have been more annoying than even I was. 

Ok, it is all a lie. It was dancing school, and believe it or not, we sang and dance to “There is Nothing Like a Dame” from South Pacific.  Would they be allowed to do that now? 

We’ve got sunlight on the sand
We’ve got moonlight on the sea
We’ve got mangoes and bananas we can pick right off a tree
We’ve got volleyball and ping-pong and a lot of dandy games
What ain’t we got?
We ain’t got dames!

I think back, and I can remember doing the song, and at one point we all punched the air to the line “We ain’t got dames.”  Someone find me a therapist!!

I also spent some time in the Pacific, just blending in with the natives.  They reached out to the Gods and asked that my eye be replaced. I taught them ways of the new world, told them great stories of everything I could make up, and eventually hopped a banana boat and came back to Michigan.

Betty Johnson School of Dance, what were you thinking? I have absolutely no clue as to what this outfit was for, other than another dancing school costume. Maybe Linda will remember what this was.  Were we part of Children of the Damned?

I know I posted this one last time, showing my mom’s photographic talents, but it fits here too. (I found these slides in the garage, so I think they got a little moldy.)

This little number was from “Hard Hearted Hanna, the Vamp of Savannah.”

Again, we sang and danced to a totally inappropriate song. I just looked up the lyrics and this song was actually written by Ray Charles. 

They call her hardhearted Hannah
The vamp of Savannah
The meanest gal in town Leather is tough
But Hannah’s heart is tougher
She’s a gal who likes to see men suffer
To tease ’em and thrill ’em
To torture and kill ’em
Is her delight they say
I saw her at the seashore with a great big pan
There was Hannah pouring water on a drowning man That’s hardhearted Hannah, the vamp of Savannah G-A  

Oh my goodness. It is not a wonder the convent would not take me. Well, that and the fact I was not Catholic…..   Lastly, I want to share a childhood trauma with you all. The issue was treated, and I really have no residual problems, but at the time it was such an embarrassment to my family and friends. I do not remember the name of the affliction….

  …but it caused me to have very large feet.  Just riding in the car on a family vacation was such an ordeal. People would stare and make such insensitive comments everywhere we went. The surgery was a success.    I really cannot even talk about it yet. Children can be so cruel.