I went to Jefferson School K-6.

We had Miss Robinson for kindergarten, where there was this little pond filled with water. There were basically a line of pews along the outside wall, inside of which were kindergarten-type stuff.There were these twins, the Colemans. From my memory there were three sets of twins in that family - I know there were 2 and seem to recall an older group - and Jack was my age. Jack on one occassion in 1st or 2nd grade went up to the janitor George, grabbed him by the testicles, and really gave a good squeeze.

Jack was held back a year for that one.

In 5th and 6th grade we had Sweaty Neddie Morrison. In those years we got to learn how to go out into the hallway, away from the windows, sit on the floor, put our heads between our legs, and then the atomic bomb warning was done, and we would go back into class.

Bill Crow and I took violin so we could carry around violin cases and pretend we were mobsters.

I went to the Junior High 7-9 with a break in 8 when I went to Rumsey Hall before I got kicked out for smoking.

I went to St. Joe High 10-12.

I worked at Modern Plastics for a year before I went to college in Tempe, Arizona - Arizona State. That was owned by Lynn Miller’s dad (Victor Miller, VM, Voice of Music).

I transferred to and graduated from (with honors!) U of Michigan in 76.

I went to Notre Dame Law School 76-79 when I graduated, took the bar exam and became a licensed lawyer.

The Jefferson Years

There was school, church, and everything else. Grant and I had lived next to one another from birth I guess, because before I even started school I was caught by the police walking down to his house. They took me to my grandmother’s house.

St. Joe was a pretty small town - 8-12,000 or sum such. (Note play on word.) I knew absolutely everyone in my grade, because our class was about 50 kids. Dave, a kid who lived down a couple yards from me, told me once that the reason blacks couldn’t swim was they had solid bones and sank. I believe he believed that.

St. Joe Junior High :65-68 :

Ok, now all the grade schools (maybe 5-6) went to the same junior high, and our class was probably 120 kids or some such.

7th grade, Jesse Edge was 16 and in 7th grade and I had befriended him, and when Burleson tried to initiate me in the bathroom, Jesse said “Leave him alone” and it happened.

Tom Mix died in a car wreck in 7th grade. Starting in 7th grade, never a year went by without someone dying. Mike Romeo I think. Rory Beckman. I’ll have to think of others.

Junior high had the Baker Brothers teaching. Big Baker, called such because he was so fat, and Jesse got into a fist fight in the lunchroom/gym. Jesse left that day and never returned.

Mr. Tower pushed me over a row of chairs the last day of choir in 9th grade. I had done everyting in my power to piss him off, and I guess it worked.

I got punched in the mouth leaving the lunchroom and lost a front tooth - it was put back in and ultimately got a root canal and then sort of died off or decayed or rotted, or got root rot, or was soggy, or something was the matter with it and it is no longer.

The High School Years : 68-71 : 

Have you ever heard of Woodstock? I hadn’t either, but apparently it happened there somewhere. Jefferson Airplain. Jimi and Janice died. Grant had a picture of each of them in his locker. I kept plastic containers that looked like radios but had booze in them in my locker.

Bob, Grant’s brother, was a terrible driver. I was personally involved in no fewer than 3 accidents with him driving. One was going to the YMCA for church basketball. One was when he dropped a cigar on his bare foot, leaned down to get it and hit the car that had slowed for a turn in front of us. I’m going to have to remember the other one. He also tried to race a cop once from a stoplight, because when the cop pulled up next to us, Bob wouldn’t give him a glance, but would rev his engine. When the car to the immediate left of Bob revved his engine, Bob was ready. The light turned green, we spun tires, and were immediately stopped by the St. Joe police.

Choir at church was a big thing for me. Grant and I were in it together. Joe, Julie, Ann and Cathy Johnston and Bill and Kendall whatshisname, Father Ross. Betsy Bartz’s mom played piano/organ even though Betsy and her family were all raised in the catholic church/school (until junior high).