childhood memories

The Day We Hunted the Boston Strangler (and Got Hungry Instead)

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When the Boston Strangler escaped prison, a group of boys set out on a boxcar adventure. Would they be heroes—or just hungry dreamers?

I grew up a few miles from state prison. The railroad tracks which ran close by my house also ran by the prison. There were times on that was a lot of excitement because the prisoner had escaped. Most of the escapees or trustee who worked on a farm that surrounded the prison. The farm land was owned by the prison and the produce was used to help feed the prisoners. They escape or generally trustees. That’s what they call the prisoners who worked on the farm who decided that they had it and they took off down the tracks and headed for Boston, which was 26 miles away. One time a famous prisoner who was known as the Boston strangler escaped my buddies, and I were so excited when we heard the news that we ran to the railroad tracks and climbed on top of the freight cars. In those days there were no cell phones but we thought if we could catch a glimpse of the Boston strangler we have a story to tell in school as well as being heroes if we told the police where they could catch the strangler. After a few hours of lying on top of the freight cars we got bored and decided to find our excitement someplace else. The Boston strangler was eventually recaptured and everything returned to normal. We had a shot at fame, but it didn’t materialize.

3 Questions to Tie into the Theme:

  1. Why do moments of fear and danger often become some of our most cherished childhood memories?
  2. How did imagination and curiosity shape the way you experienced the world as a kid?
  3. What stories from your youth remind you of how close you came to greatness… only to choose snacks instead?

Recess Was My Favorite Subject (and Detention Was My Major)

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From classroom exile to the playground courtroom, this is a tale of a kid who couldn’t sit still, talked too much, and graduated with a Ph.D. in after-school detention. But hey, at least he turned it into a lifelong love for exercise—and a fiercely loyal heart.

I enjoy exercising. I’ve always enjoyed it. As a kid, I couldn’t sit still in school. My first grade teacher had me move my desk apart from the rest of the class besides being a kid that couldn’t sit still, I was too sociable for a teacher who like order. Although she may have temporarily modified my behavior, it was probably the reason recess was my favorite class in elementary school. I could scream, run, and shout, and it still didn’t calm me down. In today’s environment, the counselors and educators would’ve probably said I needed to be drugged. They would tell my parents I wasn’t normal. As a reflect on it, I’m glad they never had that conversation with my teachers. My behavior, both physical and socially, didn’t really improve as I went through each grade. My fifth grade teacher kept me after school 150 days out of 180. I think I must’ve set a record. I had the longest school day of any kid I’ve ever known. There was one day when she kept me after school and my younger brother, who was in first grade, was outside waiting for me in the playground. When I got out of prison as I called it I went to get him. There was a boy from my class picking on him and my brother was crying. What’s an older brother to do? I had no choice I got involved in a fight. My fifth grade teacher saw me from the window, came outside and yanked me off the boy who was picking on my brother. She decided I was guilty and put me back in prison for another 30 minutes. What has all this taught me? I’m not quite sure if it taught me anything. I’m still sociable. I still can’t sit still. And, I’m overly protective of my daughters. I must be a slow learner.

Three Reflection Questions:

  1. What childhood behaviors of yours still show up in your adult life—and are they strengths in disguise?
  2. Were there moments from your school years that shaped your current lifestyle or values more than you realized?
  3. How might today’s education system respond differently to a child like your younger self?

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