Some friends and I were discussing the paddlings we received in middle school. All of us were from Decatur so we had similar stories dealing with similar teachers and coaches. I remember in my eighth grade year looking back and counting how many I had and it was like 20 spankings during that 3 years of my life. I don't think I was a bad kid, but gesh, that is a lot of spankings. I do remember a few I deserved, but I remember a few I did not as well. Here is a list of a few of them with the stories behind them. I truly believe teachers would get jail time these days if they did this. Why did society change so much in the last 20 years on corporal punishment. I think kids were better when corporal punishment was a possibility. Especially when they were dealing with trigger happy coaches like Owen and Neighbors. Then again they are probably the reason teacher's no longer can do this at a whim! Here we go:
1. Shannon Hesteande and I were walking back into the gym at the end of PE and we were "horse playing". Not for long...Coach Owen saw us and that is when I heard the dreaded words for the first time "thats going to cost you one". I think we touched one another barely. But that is my recollection. My ass was on fire after that one. I saw Shannon get his "lick" before me and he start crying and believe me...Shannon was one of the toughest guys I knew. I knew I was in for a world of trouble. Gone were the days of the paddle that did not hurt. I was in the big leagues now. I did not want a piece of him again. Unfortunately I would not get my wish.
2. Mr. McBride was a trigger happy history teacher in the 6th grade. He loved to give kids a paddle. He was from the old school and was probably in his fifties at the time. My desk was next to the door. I had my back against the wall sideways in my chair and was watching him paddle some kids for who knows what reason (probably talking in class...can you imagine getting one for that today)and he noticed I was watching...mind you I was in my seat and not saying a word. He said to me "Since you think this is so interesting, Mr. Scroggins, you will need to come join us!" I was like what the hell! Well I did get it and his hurt too!
3. Mr. Henson was an ex coach who loved to lay one on anyone he could. I remember he especially liked to paddle girls. He was my eighth grade math teacher. We were having board races and I was not paying attention. I noticed my turn was up and he was starting the problem without me. I just said "wait dude" as I was running to the board. He simply said "no one calls me dude...you will need to go to the hall." Yep got one for that too.
4. Now for one I thought I did not deserve, but on further review probably did. Backgroud: Remember lick number one above. Well that one left a bruise in the same shape of a paddle on my arse. I was getting into the shower one morning and my sainted mother happened to see my butt and asked me what that bruise was from. I told her and she was a little pissed. Mind you my mom was the wife of a coach and she knew Coach Owen very well. He was one of the younger coaches that the older coaches' wives like my Mom took care of. I could not believe it (she never had a problem beating me when I deserved it), but she said he was not to give me licks ever again if he was going to leave bruises. Now the story: We were playing a cruel game that Coach Owen called turtle and rabbit. He sent the fat kids running from the middle school parking lot toward the football field. When the fat kids got far enough he would send the faster kids after them. Yes...I was apparently one of the faster kids believe it or not. If the faster kids did not catch the fat kids they had to run again. Being that I was a coaches son, Coach Owen loved to pick on me. He sent one of the biggest kids (Tony Balogna) running and waited for him to be on his way back before he let me go. I did not have a chance, as Tony literally had a 300 yard jump on me. I almost caught him, but fell gassed at the finish line. The rest of the class were laughing at me, including Jason Wren, who happens to love this story. All I could come up with at that time was "Shut up you assholes!". And that is when I heard the dreaded words again. "Scroggins, that is going to cost you one!" In front of the class mind you, I explained that I was not going to get a paddle and that my mommy said so. I kind of hate that part. He actually told me we would wait a day and see who prevailed in regards to this matter. I guess he was scared of my mom. Her reason was simple...she did not think he needed to hit kids as hard as he did. She was on my side and I felt good about the situation until my dad came home from work that night after football practice or whatever was going on and explained to me that a man has to do what a man has to do. I chose to say what I said and now I would have to pay the piper. I was like a dead man walking into the locker room that next day. Coach Owen had that silly grin he always had and yep he walloped my ass good...again! I was prepared this time. I think only one tear came out on my walk from his office to the band hall. He could really knock the snot out of you.
On a side note...when I explained to him it was not fair during class, he went into a tirade of how life is not fair and that it was not fair to be bald when your only 28 years old...as he spiked a football in the pavement in anger. He did this in front of the whole class. I still get a giggle when I think about it. I guess it was all worth it.
9 comments:
Mr. McBride? Really? He just made us wash the lunnch tables as punishment. Of course, thinking back on that murky water and sponge, I probably would have preferred licks!
is this a sign of things to come for our kids??
Shannon wants to know if you ever got one in the "push up" position for Mr. Woods the shop teacher????
He can't begin to remember how many spankin's he got!!! He says he was in the line up every Friday!
I made it through Middle School without any licks from Mr. Woods thankfully. He was another psycho who enjoyed giving a good wallop most days in a lot of cases for no reason and he was a big believer in the push up position if I remember correctly. I do have a story. I think on the 2nd to last day of school of our 8th grade year when I was feeling pretty cool for sure, a teacher let me go see my mom (who taught 6th grade at the school) for who knows what reason. Mr. Woods was a big watcher of the halls. He asked me if I had a pass and of course I didn't. He told me we needed to go to his office and I basically told him to kiss off and that I did not have to go with him when I had permission to be in the hall. I told him my business and walked off. Not sure why he did not make anymore of it, but I was glad. I think I said if you are going to take me to your office we need to go get my mom. I guess he did not want to have to deal with his lack of reason for hitting someone. I just always thought he was a little strange. And yes I am a mommies boy for anyone who doesn't know me very well.
Sickos. All of them. Especially the "likes to spank girls" issue. Dear God.
truly. we should all be in therapy.
i never had one lick. ever.
but mr. coach henson did call me a dumb blonde.
I remember the ones who liked to spank girls. One in particular (who you named in this post) also liked to seat girls in the front rows of class and drop stuff, then bend down to get it. Yeah. There might be more behavioral problems in school these days, but I don't think empowering psychos like that to do whatever they want is really the answer. :-) For the record: I never got "licks" (eew) -- I always took the sentences. They usually let girls pick sentences or D-Hall instead of the beatings.
WHOM you named in this post.
Bad grammar makes the baby Shatner cry.
I laughed until I cried even tho it was fact. I remember Shannon commenting on the strong impact of Owens paddle.
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