Junior High...and coming of age in an era where men still ruled and women were mostly teachers, nurses, secretaries, and homemakers. My mom was a legal secretary for a busy lawyer in town. She spent her afternoons translating shorthand and typing various legal documents. Of course, she wasn't home in the afternoon when we came home from school. I had to babysit for my brothers and be there when they arrived home. So annoying. Bruce was a tease and did not enjoy taking orders from me. Paul was OK but he was the butt of most of Bruce's teasing. It was my job to keep them from fighting each other and to start dinner. Not fun...and it did nothing for my social life.
I walked to school every day with Pat and Barb, my elementary school friends. Every day we would meet at the corner of Hoosac and Summer Streets and we would walk the mile or so to the junior high. We would chat about the previous evening's TV shows and laugh all the way to school. Red Skelton and Carol Burnett were two of our favorite comedians; they made you laugh for an entire hour. Star Trek was also one of my favorite shows with Mr Spock and Captain Kirk!
As soon as we arrived at school, we stood outside and met up with other friends until the bell rang and we were allowed inside. We were all in different home rooms, arranged alphabetically according to last name.
In the 9th grade, newcomers from the Polish and French parochial schools arrived. They were kids whom perhaps we had seen only in church and with whom we made new friends. My cousin Kathy joined me in home room in the 9th grade. Although we had a good time playing at my grandmother's house, she did not extend that friendship to me once we were in school together. We were never in the same class. Kathy did not share my interest in being a good student. I did make many friends among the newcomers though and they became integrated into my high school class.
As a freshman, I became more interested in science than ever. My biology class was fascinating and I knew that this is where I would develop my interests.
