Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Our 7th grade goal, four-lane US Highway 80

I have no idea why  so many of my stories of school events involve the seventh grade.  It was not a good year for me; in fact, it was a miserable year.  I had to resort to bribery to pass spelling; I was the only boy in the class without a coping saw for activity time, and we didn't take a newspaper to help me with current events.
On the world stage Hitler was building Germany into an economic and military power and threatening all of Europe, while Imperial Japan had invaded China and was killing millions.  At the same time the depression in the United States was getting worse each year because of the economic policies of the federal government. Thus, unemployment continued high and most people lived in abject  poverty.  ( Poverty then was real compared to now when a family may said to be impoverished but  own two cars, two big TV sets,  cell phones and electronic games.) Food stamps did not exist although a typical couple on welfare would receive 18 dollars a month and surplus foods such as grapefruit (which few people knew how to eat.)

Some teachers and other adult leaders of children get their charges involved in "saving the world" by  campaigning for such things as outlawing foam cups.  As seventh graders we were not confident enough and well informed enough to think that big, but we did take on a major project.  US Highway 80 was a major highway reaching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, but we were concerned only with that portion from Minden to Shreveport. I think it was the teacher, Oren Trout, who inspired us to set as our goal to four-lane the highway from Minden to Shreveport and thus save lives.  As I remember we embraced this enthusiastically. However, when the teacher warned us it would take time, that we could not expect to accomplish this by Christmas,   our enthusiasm fell, as we wanted to see results immediately.  Eventually, I-20 was completed and we had attained our goal, although this is the first time I remembered this and I doubt any other class member who is alive remembers it.   Anyway, youngsters of today were not the first to be convinced they can accomplish great things.  Children still believe they can make a difference; let's hope they never lose that belief.

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