Do you remember the first day of school?
I remember fourth grade. My family moved from Cleveland to Columbus, Ohio, and along with general changes in where I would be living, I also began my formal Catholic education at the nearby suburban parochial school.
Back then, beginning in August, the school used to list the students in each class on the front door of the building, like it was a 1985 version of Facebook. I saw that I was assigned to Mrs. O’Donnel’s class, which would start in a few weeks. I didn’t know anybody, so I wasn’t concerned about the other names on this list.
I was concerned that since I attended public school up to that point, I needed to purchase clothes that adhered to the new uniform guidelines. I needed to wear a light blue dress shirt and navy blue pants. I would wear this outfit every day for the next four years. (If you had told me then that I would wear basically the same thing as an adult going to work, I would have asked what the point of me just being a kid. What am I, Alex P. Keaton?)
Anticipation of a new school and a new school year was at the forefront of my mind as we inched closer to that first day. Purchasing bland clothes, along with Trapper Keepers, bookbags, pens, and notebooks, filled the time before I would make new friends and probably screw something up.
Which I did.
The first day came, and after arriving at the school and entering the classroom, I was guided by Mrs. O’Donnel to my desk. The bell rang, the principal came over the loudspeaker, and we recited the pledge of allegiance. Then, we immediately dove into a prayer, which blew my mind.
I wasn’t against prayer; it was just that I wasn’t expecting it. I looked around the room and mumbled through the Our Father, knowing the words but amazed that this would be how we would begin each day.
Mrs. O’Donnell then announced that anyone who had purchased a lunch ticket for the week to please come up and see her. My mother gave me a few dollars for lunch because I was the youngest, so no lunch was packed. I walked up to my new teacher, who I didn’t know, and tried to hand her my cash.
She graciously explained that my parents would have purchased a lunch ticket for a week through the school. Embarrassed, I walked back to my desk. My red face was a nice contrast to my new blueberry outfit.
I was off to a great start. I did recover quickly. I was grateful that Mrs. O’Donnell didn’t use this opportunity to milk me daily for my lunch money, and eventually, praying before class became routine. Fourth grade was a pivotal moment in my life to begin a new journey, and I still have close friends from that year. It was a great first day.
My first day of fourth-grade experience is much like what our federal government experienced on its first day on March 4, 1789, when our Constitution went into effect. Much like my parents, who moved our family over the summer and got school supplies, uniforms, and everything in order, the Congress of the Confederation prepped for this moment for a few years and eventually adopted the new Constitution after eleven states ratified it in September 1788.
March 4 was the first day of a new Congressional year, and I’m sure there was some awkwardness in how to proceed with the new Constitution. Perhaps a newly elected congressman approached the Speaker to hand him his lunch money. Maybe everyone stood up to recite some pledge to begin the session, and a few representatives stumbled through it. Did they all purchase the identical goofy wigs, and was that part of the expected uniform? Who knows. But it ended up being an excellent first day.
Happy 235th Birthday, Constitution. You don’t look a day over 175.
Okay, let's highlight what else happened this week. Here's what I got:
Associate Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun died on March 4, 1999. Blackmun was President Richard Nixon’s third choice to replace Abe Fortas in 1970 and won confirmation with a 94-0 vote. In 1973, he wrote the majority opinion of Roe vs. Wade and became one of the Court’s most liberal justices. He resigned from the court in 1994. In February 1999, he fell, broke his hip, and never recovered from the procedure. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and I’m sure I ran by him last spring.
The Barbie doll went on sale on March 9, 1959. Based on a German comic strip character in a racy magazine, Barbie became an instant hit with young girls who wanted to play with the adult-like toy. Over a billion Barbie Family dolls have been sold since. The major motion picture, Barbie, is up for Best Picture in the 96th Annual Academy Awards to be aired on March 10, 2024. The actress who played Barbie, Margot Robbie, did not receive a Best Actress nomination, but Ryan Gossling, the actor who played Barbie’s boyfriend, Ken, was nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Because of Course. I haven’t watched the movie, but I heard it’s good. Anonymous gave me a pair of Ken socks that I wear.
James Earl Ray was sentenced to 99 years in prison on March 10, 1969. Ray pleaded guilty to assassinating Dr. Martin Luther King on April 4, 1968. He died in 1998 at 70 from a bunch of aliments delivered to him by God, and his ashes are somewhere in Ireland.
It wasn’t until we passed the Twenty Amendment that we moved it up the calendar to January 20. The Twentieth Amendment is ranked 26th in our ranking of amendments; as you are aware, there are only twenty-seven. It’s not a significant amendment, but it is a necessary one. It’s infinitely better than the 18th Amendment, that’s for sure.
Blue is still not feeling well, and he needs to get his recovery in gear because St. Patrick’s Day is coming up in two weeks. We have work to do, buddy.
I have a busy week, but I will be back on Friday. Hope it’s a good one!
Okay,
Chris
I really liked the image of the Rep going up to the Speaker and giving him his lunch money.
I had totally forgotten about the lunch ticket situation. I remember they eventually figured out giving a kid a piece of paper to not lose for a week - a 2”x3” paper you’d put in your pocket when you went out to the playground after lunch - was a bad idea. I think we switched to the daily lunch ticket the next year, right? You were an innovator and driver of change, Chris!