just me jim W Chapter 05

Chapter 05

JustmeJimW and the Crippled

Children’s Society.

No I am not crippled, I was born with brain danger, which effect my speech, When I was kid, the other kids put me down, just because the way I talk.

From the 3^rd grade to 9^th grade, once A week, I went to Speech therapy, At the Crippled Children Society, Which to was the Easter seals, they send out Easter seals, to make money, my neighbor, once years address 300 to 500 envelopes, she got the names from the phone book. To send the Easter seals.

At speech therapy At I remember play the sorry, and working on Speech, and to talk to fast. And it got me out of school for two hour.

At Christmas time, Crippled Children Society, have a Christmas party, my whole family went each year, At the party, We got something to eat, a Christmas stocking fill with goods, A Christmas gift, and we also got to met movie and TV stars, one year I remember met, Tab Hunter, the movie star, I got his picture, and took to school, and the teacher kept in her desk of the end of the year.

Each Summer I went to the Crippled Children Society, summer camp for two weeks, the kids there, I all was handicap, back them it was ok, to use the word handicap, All has physical handicap, no one had A mentally handicap.

First 8 Summer was in crestline Ca, was in the mountains, the last 3 Summer was at Malibu, was at the beach.

I remember going to the crestine camp, We had to go under A bridge, then over the Same bridge,

At Camp, each Summer, there always was the same kids, to we all would look forward each other. At crestline, each, summer, went to santa’s village, which was fun. At the Malibu we went to the navy base.

When got to camp, we was have lunch, It was always grill cheeses sandwich, on last year, they had a new cook, and we did not have grill cheeses sandwich, I was disappoint, that we had something else.

One year we was the last kids for that summer, all summer along, the wake the campers, by play the song, “happy days are here again”, After about 80 days, being wake by “happy days are here again”, one of the counselor, broke the record, on the last they play something else.

The activity at the camps was the same, like all other camps, swimming, horseback riding, arts and crafts, and archery.

On the first day, they made us write a letter home, to tell our family, we got have safe, and was have fun.

On the last day we put out a newspaper, on the camp, all the fun we have, most of the mom and dad, want know what we did.

I will only write one kids, that I met at camps, first let me say this, We put pass each other handicap, and got know each other for who we are, and not how we look or talk.

I met Barbara H., when I was about 10, and she was about 8, She Was one of camps, I look forward to see each summer.

The last summer I went to Camp I was 16, and she was 14, We was have picnic lunch, the girl made a lunch, for A boy and herself, the boys, have camp’s money to bid on the lunch, we I did not, know who lunch was who, one others camp told me, which lunch Barbara H made, I was bid on it, but the head counselor, they her reason for me, not to bid Barbara, so I did had lunch with Barbara on that day.

Each night after the campfire, which was song and ghost story, I got to walk Barbara, to her cabin.

On the last day, of camp, Barbara and I, exchange address, I live in Long Beach Ca., and she live in Pomona, Ca. which is about 42.57 miles, apart.

When got home, we begin to write each other, in of her letters, she told that she have operation and rehabilitate, and be in the hospital for about two months, the hospital, was in Los Angeles. Which was about 26.83 miles, from my house, On each Sunday, with she in hospital, I wrote my bike to see her, it took me about two half hour, first I bought of candy, but one of the hospital staff, took the candy from me, and she must share it with the others girl in her room. The last time I rode my bike 26.83 miles, and it the took me about two half hour, when I got to the hospital, they told that she check out, the day before.

On two times, I rode my bike the 42.57 miles, from Long beach to Pomona to see her. Then I did not see her, for about two years, than I took the bus to see her. Two time Bill C. a friend from camp, drove me and his wife to see her, and the four of us went to dinner and drive-in movie, was saw the move JAWS.

She came with write of her to mine house times.

The last time I took the bus to see her, was 1977 0r 1978, We when to Knott’s Farm, so told that she was date her doctor, about month after that, I call her, and ask to see her, she told that she was getting married to her doctor, and hung up on me, I took very hard, I wrote her some dumb letter try change mind, but she send then back, I try to call her, but she hung up, each time I call. She was only person who I will care about.

In the year 2001, I went to classmates.com, I went to her high school, and I some email me her address, she is now Barbara R., I send her Letter, told that I did not want to see her, I just want to if she was well and happy, she not respond.

If you need to know, her handicap was that her right leg was amputee at the knee, I did ask her why.

Going to Crippled Children’s Society summer camp was the best part of my childhood, they are some other camper, that I would like to find, but last summer in went to camp, was the summer of 1966. and I cannot remember some of they names.

My speech therapy, did help me some, but not that much.

I you know about just me and Crippled Children’s Society, My speech therapy, and my friend Barbara H., now Barbara R.