Mr. Warren Harding…..that is our eighth grade teacher’s name.  The assignment he gives for our next day is to write a story of our most embarrassing moment, then stand before the class and recite it.

One really stands out for me far above all the others.  Besides it happened just this summer before this school year of 1935 started and I am thirteen years old.

It is a warm sunny summer day as my sister Fannie and I decide to go to a lake in a nearby town for an afternoon of swimming enjoyment.  This is my first opportunity to wear my new orange rubber swimsuit.

We have so much fun swimming in this big lake, going down the high sliding board, splashing into the water.  Then climbing the ladder and down again, beautiful cool water here I come!

In the middle of the lake is a square wood float about a foot above the water.  Mounted on it is a seven or eight foot high diving board and best of all four or five good looking boys milling around.  I climb on the float, hurry up the ladder, walk out to the end of the diving board and jump in.  That was very enjoyable!  Guess I’ll do that a few more times.  Besides….as I said before, there are four or five handsome boys standing there watching me.

As I tell this story to my class I say, “These boys think I’m pretty cute so I keep on showing off for them.”

Fannie comes swimming up to the edge of the float and is trying to tell me something.  But she is talking so softly I can’t hear what she is saying.  However she is very insistent!  So finally I lean over.  Well…..actually I lean way, way over to hear her whisper, “You have a hole in the seat of your swim suit!”

My teacher Mr. Harding is laughing so hard, tears are streaming down his face.  He and all my classmates are laughing so loudly no one hears me say, “I slide off that float into the water, quickly swim ashore, run to our car, open the door and leap in!”

And…..no!  I did not look back at those handsome boys.  I don’t know what grade Mr. Harding gave me for that performance.  But I think it should have been an A+++!

What do you think?

I will be anxiously awaiting your answer to that question.

FRF ♥