Un-Day Camp

I started day camp. I began 2 days late because I had my usual sore throat and stayed home. Being 6, I was at camp with other 6-year-olds.

A lady at camp came by with a tiny kitten, small enough to rest in the palm of her hand.

“This kitten is too young to open his eyes,” she said.

“But his eyes are open,” I said.

“No. No.” she said. “The kitten is too young.”

“But his eyes are open,” said the other kids.

“No. No.” she said. “The kitten is too young.”

Later—

When I got home my mother was angry. “How did you get your shorts and

underwear all muddy?”

I did tell her that a boy came in the bathroom with me and she yelled at me for it.

But it wasn’t a little a little boy, which she probably thought. He pulled down his pants but I don’t remember much more than that. My brother was 8 months old at the time and looked different from him.

Well, that was it. I was afraid to use the camp bathrooms. I ended up wetting my pants and people laughing at me.

Two Goats

I remember two goats at day camp. They were tied around the neck with a rope and the other end tied to a tree. But they got the rope all tangled up and were choking. We told the counselors,

“The goats are choking. The goats are choking.” They laughed.

A little later the head of the camp came over to the counselors, told them angrily the goats are choking and to fix the rope. They did. Then the counselors said to us, “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“We did tell you. We did tell you.” We said.

Elementary School

What a childhood I had! And what an imagination! I lived a block and a half away from my elementary school—grades K-6. On one of the outside doors facing the street was a sign.

“What does that sign say?” I asked my mom as we walked by.

“No Loitering,” said she.

“And what does that mean?” said I.

“It means not to walk onto the school property and just hang around.”

“That’s strange,” thought I. “How can we get to class if we don’t walk onto the school property?”

Then it started to rain.

“Oh dear,” said Mom. “And I don’t have my umbrella.”

And all I could think of was that sign.

Elementary School was fine, well almost. Not kindergarten. Couldn’t stand the teacher. But the upper grades were much better. But that sign. That sign. I kept thinking of that sign.

Then one day it happened. I was 10 years old. And I was standing in front of the school. And it started to rain. I ran to the door with the sign that said “No Loitering.” I opened the door and…

Some Years Later

I was older. I needed to study for a career. Teaching was supposed to be a good career for a woman. And that may be so, but only if that is what you want to do. I remember sitting in a high school class thinking,

“The only thing worse than sitting here is up there teaching.”

“What do I want to be?” I’m thinking. “What do I want to be? And, yes, I figured it out. I want to be ME! And I am ME! Yes-ME! And I have a website. AnneLCohen.com. And I am ME all over the website. And I have a good friend who taught me the computer and helped me with the computer website. And all I can say to him is, “Thank you.”