Missing Miss Smith

Seventh Grade, Miss Smith. Not skinny, just cute and petite. She styled her blonde hair around her head like Tippi Hedren. Her eyes were as the Earth looks from space. Sure, I had a puppy crush on her, all the guys did, but how she influenced me had nothing to do with her being attractive. At the time I was secretly writing an occasional anonymous newsletter about ecology issues. I printed it three or four copies at a time, typing with carbon paper on my mom’s manual Smith Corona. The papers circulation was 8-16, depending on time spent making 4 issues at one sitting The fourth copy was blurry, but legible. I delivered them through the slots of student’s lockers, classmates from different classes had I deduced through observation that might be concerned about the ecology- most often, but not exclusively cute girls. Miss Smith discovered my operation, through an unwitting customer, called me into her class and… Encouraged me to found the Hollencrest Junior High Ecology club. The group was still active when I returned for my 10 year High School reunion, Fifteen years later. It was disbanded this year by orders of the Executive branch. -dp-