Dear John, September 20th, 1970
September has been fun so far. We have been playing soccer at recess. It turns out that I'm not so good on the field, but I am the best goalie in the whole school. Everyone wants me on their team.
[Drawing of foot kicking soccer ball]
The craziest thing happened! Someone stole my bike when I was swimming at the pool last Saturday before school started. My Mom offered a $10.00 reward to anyone who brought it back. A couple of the neighborhood boys found it ditched in the bushes a few blocks from the pool. Both tires were flat. Now I am saving up to buy new ones.
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Some of the cool things we learned this month at school:
1. Nebraska is the "Corn Husker" State. (Also, the word "State" is always capitalized if you are talking about a State or country.) Corn husking is getting an ear of corn out of the green covering and getting rid of the tassles. [Drawing of husking corn]
2. The State flower is the "goldenrod."
3. The State bird is the "Golden Oriole."
In Cub Scouts, we went to a place called Council Bluffs and learned how to make plaster casts of animal tracks. The ones I did were from a raccoon. Pretty cool!
[Drawing of raccoon track]
So how are you?
Your friend,
Dan
John's hand-written reply:
Dear Dan,
ReplyDeleteBeing the most sought after goalie for soccer makes you a genuine athlete. But the best part is all the fun you have doing your team proud. There isn't anything more rewarding than being an essential part of a team. Most great accomplishments are not done individually but as part of a group effort. And you are learning what teamwork is all about. That lesson will serve you well as you get older.
Me, I'm on the football team. However, I'm a third string. I get to go to games out of town. And that is great fun. As third string players we scrimmage after the real game is over. But I don't feel at all bad. Just learning the ins and outs of football is a blast.
And then coach gave me a magnificent confidence builder the other day. He marked a spot on the field and told me to stand there. He instructed me to not budge an inch while a player much bigger than me crashed into me. We were wearing pads of course. So this huge behemoth hit me with all he had. I gave as good as I got. And I didn't budge and inch from the mark coach made in the turf for me. This went on for several minutes. It just goes to show that will power can overcome even size when bashing a huge guy. When the hitting was over I felt like a million bucks.
On the bus home from a game one of the cheerleaders came onto me. She was stroking my leg and talking real sultry. But I made it clear I wasn't ready for that sort of thing. That was another standing up against relentless pressure. I was proud that I didn't give in. Though another player said I should accept her offer. My resistance was strong as those ancient Greek sailors who tied themselves to the mast of the boat with the sirens singing. And I sure am glad I didn't succumb.
Glad you learned about your state and corn husking. I love learning things like that way more than math. But I'll need to know math when I get older for whatever I do. That's what my teacher said. Enjoy your Fall my friend.
Your friend,
John