Story time.
It is late 1959 or early 1960. Dwight Eisenhower is president, the Russian satellite Sputnik is orbiting menacingly overhead, the Kennedy/Nixon debates have yet to occur and it is still two years until John Glenn will be the first man to orbit the earth.
Against this historic backdrop an event of nearly equal historic importance (at least to me) is about to occur.... the Birdville Elementary School Spelling Bee. As the champion speller of Mrs. Patterson's fourth grade class I am about to go up against the "big kids".....fifth and sixth graders.....in front of the whole school. The winner to advance to the city wide competition with the ultimate prize being a trip to Washington, D. C. for the national competition.
I am confident. And why shouldn't I be? My Dad has gotten me the official spelling booklet published by the Fort Worth Press (it came from "all the way down town," I was told) and we have been practicing spelling for an hour after dinner every night.
The event is in the combination lunchroom/auditorium and folding chairs have been set up in rows to accommodate the crowd. A few chairs are set up on the stage for the contestants. The auditorium is full. My parents are there. My Dad has taken off work to be there. My grandparents have driven in from out-of-town and are there.
The stage lights go on and the rest of the lights are dimmed. I, as the fourth grader, am sitting in the first chair and will go first. After a few introductions are made by the principal we are ready to begin. I approach the microphone in the center of the stage.
The first word is "cemetery." I think, "Hmmm....I don't remember specifically spelling that but it seems easy." With little hesitation I spell it "C-E-M-E-T-A-R-Y" and begin my walk back to my folding chair with confidence. I was shocked when the moderator told me I had misspelled it.
I had actually missed the FIRST WORD of the spelling bee!!! Picture Charlie Brown on the pitcher's mound, head facing straight up, yelling "ARRRRRRGH!" and you know how I felt. I looked at my Dad and he just smiled and shook his head. I'm sure I set a record for the shortest experience in a spelling bee.
Of course now I am very attuned to the frequent misspelling of the word "cemetery" as occurs in the heading of this thread and I think back on that humiliating experience every time I see it. Would one of the mods please fix it? Thank you.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Hannah
Scarred for life over it I see.
