*****
Odds n Ends
Too Tall
It was a time, nearly forgotten by some but yet a memory in the hearts of others. It was when Red Springs, a small community set back in the hills and hollows of Middle Tennessee, was in the highlight of its days. Back in the thirties and forties, Red Springs was a booming resort town. People from everywhere came to drink from its mineral waters and bathe in its bath houses; it was believed to be good for healing. Red Springs, in those days, had luxurious colonial style hotels that dressed the town with southern hospitality and made everyone welcome. There are only a few of those hotels left standing today. The town had its country cuisine; it was superb food that fragranced the nearby hills and hollows for miles around. There were plenty of stores and gift shops galore. It was a time of fun and excitement for a lot of people. For others, it was a time of sitting out on the porch late in the evening.
Through the years, there have been a lot of people to come and go in Red Springs. Today, however, there are only a few who stop. Times have changed since then and those times will never return. The town has come a long way since floods destroyed homes, the many storms that passed through and the fire which burned down one of the hotels, not to mention the burden of hard economic times.
Red Springs still has its mineral wells but the bath houses are gone. Whenever people pass through the little town, they stop to take a drink of water and bottle some to take home with them. People still come and spend the night in the hotels and enjoy the fine foods. Sitting on the porch late in the evening is about the only thing that has not changed over the years. I guess you could say the town died down after the war in Europe. People started moving to the bigger cities where jobs were more plentiful. The opportunity to get ahead was so much better there. But, not everyone in Red Springs moved away. There were some who stayed behind. They had made the little town their home and brought up their children there. They liked the quiet life and slow pace.
Red Springs is still a nice community with good people. Although the remembrance of the booming days of the resort town are but a memory, the town stands today with its stores, a few factories, sawmills, hotels, schools and scattered homes about. Red Springs has not been lost in the past. But, it is a reminder of how things were long ago. It’s one of the few striving little towns still in existence in rural America.
The seniors, the graduating class of ’67, were all assembled on the football field for their high school graduation. Sitting in the front row was a young lady who, in just a few minutes, would receive her high school diploma and walk away into the adult world. Mary wore a blue dress under her gown and had her blonde hair back combed; it pushed out from under her cap. She would be the only child in her family, out of twelve, to ever receive a diploma. The speaker stood and opened the commencement ceremony by welcoming the families, visitors, teachers and fellow students. The theme song, Yesterday, for the graduating class sounded throughout the stadium. The young lady sat quietly with her classmates and listened to the words of the song. As she listened to the words, she reminisced about her years in school. There were good times along with the bad. As she thought back, she remembered when she first started school. She was a lot smaller than the other children in her class and being accepted was hard. Mary recalled that she was so small the other children tried to take advantage of her size. They laughed at her, picked on her and made fun of her. She also remembered the first day of school when they started calling her Too Tall. Little did she know then, her new nickname would stick with her for the rest of her life. Being small was not Mary’s only problem; she came from a poor family and it created a lot of trouble for her. Some of her classmates made fun of her clothes because she wore hand-me-downs. They called her a ragdoll. It hurt Too Tall’s feelings, but she never let it show. She didn’t want to give them the pleasure. The little hurtful things she went through when growing up made a big impact on her life. But, they helped her get to where she was that day. Mary also remembered how her classmates pulled her hair and tried to pick fights with her. They just wanted to scare her and make her cry.
Children are cruel at times, she thought, but I had to go on. They didn’t only pick on Too Tall. They made fun of any child who was a little different. They called children that wore glasses old four eyes and called children with braces old wire teeth. They even laughed at children who had a space between their two front teeth. And let’s not forget about old red on the head with freckles. Regardless of where the child was from, the color of their skin, or even their religion, it didn’t matter; they became a target for teasing. No matter how hard they tried, they just didn’t fit in. Too Tall saw others being teased and it helped to ease the hurt. It was still cruel and no matter how she looked at it, it wasn’t right. Through the years as she grew up, she learned to accept life’s defeats and that the world wasn’t perfect. She learned the hard way how to go on and make the best out of a bad thing and she tried to do what was right.
She continued to listen to the song and thought back to when school was out for the summer. She played with her brothers and sisters, worked in the fields and worked around the house. Her daddy worked hard in the log woods to provide for the family while her mother took care of the children.
Too Tall was the fourth child of twelve and she sat proudly on the front row of her high school graduation along with those who teased her in years past. It was a great achievement for such a strong willed and determined young lady to complete the goal she set out to accomplish early in her life.
As she looked around at her classmates, she saw some of her friends. Several of her classmates were still snobbish, but she didn’t care anymore. What lay ahead for her was more important. As tears filled her eyes, she couldn’t help but remember her best friend, Red. Red was a red-haired, freckled face boy who stole her heart when she was in the first grade. Red and Too Tall grew up together; they were very close. The children also picked on Red. He fought back so they didn’t bother him as much. Plus, he was always there to take up for Too Tall when the other children picked on her. In a way, Red was like a big brother to her. As the years passed, they became really good friends. Red was different than the other children. He came from a wealthy family in Red Springs; his father ran the sawmill. Red was the oldest of three children.
As she continued scanning the crowd, she thought how nice it would be if Red could be graduating with her. As the principal got up to speak to the Class of ’67, Too Tall couldn’t help but think about Red. She wondered where was he and what was he doing. During their junior year, Red’s Dad sold the sawmill and they moved away. Too Tall was afraid she would never see Red again. They wrote to each other for a long time, but as time went on the letters became further apart and eventually stopped coming.
As the principal continued speaking, Too Tall remembered the time when she cleaned off tables in the cafeteria to pay for her school lunch. Red would come and help her with the trash. She thought about the time when an older girl jumped her in the hall and tried to pick a fight with her. Luckily, Red came down the hall as the girl grabbed Too Tall’s hair and scared her away. Red, Red, Red, she whispered under her breath, where are you?
Too Tall looked out into the crowd. She saw two of her favorite teachers, Mrs. Ann and Mrs. Doyle. She eased her hand up and wiggled her fingers at them to say hello. They waved back and she smiled. She continued looking through the crowd and noticed Sally and the other cafeteria workers who had always been good to her. She was glad they came to see her graduate.
School had its bad points. However, after twelve years, the good outweighed the bad. Too Tall thought back to all the times she dreaded going to school, but she was glad she went on to graduate. She giggled to herself as she remembered the times that she played sick and stayed home from school. I’m sure almost everyone here has done that, she thought as she nodded her head. She also thought about all of the long walks
out of the hollow in pouring down rain, cold weather and snow to catch the bus. With a sigh of relief, Too Tall realized that within a few moments her life would change forever. When she walked across the stage to receive her diploma, it would close those doors of her life and open new ones filled with dreams and hopes.
War was going on in Vietnam at the time. There was plenty of protesting, demonstrating and marching in the streets. War advocates on both sides held the country in turmoil. The way things looked, it didn’t seem too promising. Young men were called off to war, while draft dodgers fled for Canada.
Too Tall’s future looked hopeful though. She had applied for college and was accepted. She had big hopes of continuing her education and dreamed of settling down some day and having a family. Although Too Tall had been through a lot growing up, she seemed to have it together and knew what she wanted out of life. She was so much like a lot of young people in rural towns. She had a dream and was willing to go for it.
The principal finished the commencement address and asked the Class of ’67 to stand. He called the names of each student to come up and receive their diploma. Too Tall stood with her classmates and nervously waited for her name to be called. As she waited, she thought about how much she had been through and how far she had come. She also thought about the teachers who convinced her to stay in school. But, tears ran from her eyes when she thought about Red. She wished he could have been there to see her walk across the stage. Finally, the time had come. Her name, Mary Alice Coulter, was called. Immediately, when she heard her name, Too Tall snapped out of her daydream. She stepped up and walked gracefully across the stage and received her diploma. Tears of joy filled her eyes. She danced back to her seat and shook hands with her friends along the way. As the rest of her fellow classmates went up to receive their diplomas, she sat with her diploma in her hands. She thought about the classmates she would probably never see again and the others she would see from time to time. After the last student walked across the stage, the principal closed the commencement ceremony. The class of ’67 yelled hooray and threw their caps high into the air. Their families and friends gathered on the football field and congratulated the graduates. Too Tall, with tears in her eyes, said goodbye to her friends and teachers as she hugged them.
“I’m going to miss you, Too Tall,” said Alice.
“I’ll miss you too,” replied Too Tall.
“Don’t forget to watch those college boys,” laughed Susie
“Okay, Susie, I won’t,” laughed Too Tall.
“Will I see you around this summer?” asked Jessie.
“Yeah, probably,” replied Too Tall. “But, I’m going to be busy getting things ready for college this fall.”
“I’ll see you around, Too Tall,” yelled Alice.”
“Bye,” cried Too Tall, “see ya.”
“Good luck in the future, Mary. I will miss seeing you in school,” said Mrs. Ann.
“Thank you, Mrs. Ann,” Too Tall replied. “I hope college works out for me.”
“Oh, I’m sure it will, Mary,” encouraged Mrs. Doyle. “You’re a smart girl.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Doyle, I have learned a lot from you and Mrs. Ann,” replied Too Tall. “I hope I have teachers like you in college.”
“I’m sure you will,” said Mrs. Ann. “Good luck, my child.”
Too Tall slowly glanced about the crowd once again with hopes of seeing her family. She was sad and disappointed when she realized they had not come. Maybe to them her graduating wasn’t important or maybe they just didn’t care. But, Too Tall didn’t let it get her too down. Besides, she was used to hurt and she was strong. Too Tall chalked it off as another victory over life’s defeat. To Too Tall it was one of the biggest days of her life. Even though she was alone, except for a few of her friends, Too Tall was happy and proud of her achievement. It had been a long twelve years for her but it was all worth it. Too Tall had become a young woman with her whole life ahead of her.
Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks as she looked through the crowd. It was Red. Quickly, she made her way through the crowd and yelled out Red’s name. The boy turned and walked away; she lost him in the crowd. She frantically looked about and called his name. Then she spotted him again. She ran up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. When he turned around she realized it wasn’t him. She told him she thought he was someone else and that she was sorry she had bothered him. He told her it was okay.
Summer flew by that year. Too Tall worked hard to earn money for college. Working hard seemed to be Mary’s life story. She hoped college would be different for her so she didn’t mind making the sacrifices.
The first year of college wasn’t too bad. Getting adjusted was her biggest challenge. Being away from home caused her to miss her family, at times, but she enjoyed being on her own; she loved the freedom. College was different, in a lot of ways, than high school and so were the students. Making new friends was exciting and being accepted came more easily. The first year, Too Tall stayed busy working as a work study and attending classes. She didn’t have much time for anything else. The time flew by.
On Christmas break, she decided to write Red to see how he was doing. She had kept all the letters he had written her through the years. She even read them occasionally, especially when she thought about him. Red, she mumbled to herself, where on earth are you?
Christmas passed and a new year was rung in. Too Tall waited patiently to receive an answer from Red, but she never did. She didn’t know for sure if she would hear from him at all, but she hoped for the best and waited. I can’t give up, she thought. Weeks passed and Valentine’s Day arrived. College was back in session and one of the fraternities was having a Valentine’s dance. However, Too Tall still hadn’t heard from Red. She decided to write him again. When she put the letter in the mail, she checked her mailbox and noticed she had received a letter. Surprised and excited, she hurriedly opened the letter. It was from Red’s mother. Unfortunately, her joy quickly sank to sadness. Red’s mother informed her that Red had been sent to Vietnam a year ago. She gave her his address and encouraged her to write him. Oh no, Red, not Vietnam, she mumbled to herself. As she read on his mother stated that he still talked about her and he often wondered what happened to her. Relieved and feeling more hopeful, Too Tall rushed back into her room to write Red. She mailed the letter and waited for a reply. Once again, Red never replied. Month after month, Too Tall wrote letters and patiently waited. She wondered if he was receiving her letters or not. Too Tall was a strong and determined young woman; she didn’t give up hope of hearing from Red. Finally, after many months, she became so discouraged and disheartened that she quit writing. She felt there was no use.
Too Tall successfully completed her first year of college and enrolled for her second year. She did well. There was no doubt about it, the hard work she did in high school paid off for her in college. Things were finally coming together for Too Tall. She had learned an important lesson in high school. And that was when discouragement comes, look back to where you have come from and what you have been through. It will help lift your spirits and keep you going. Too Tall was at the top of her class. She had been on the dean’s list each semester and she was maintaining an ‘A’ average. Her determination and dedication had helped her dreams come true. The once small, frail and poor child who was laughed at and picked on had become a beautiful young woman with a promising future ahead of her. Against all the odds of coming from a poor family in a small, rural town, she beat the odds and made her dream come true even though she was laughed at, made fun of, hurt and judged cruelly by others. Too Tall had set an example. She proved that someone could overcome the cruel abuse from others and endure.
Then one day, unexpectedly, something happened that would change her life forever. As she walked down the hall, on her way to class, she accidentally bumped into a young man on crutches.
“Oh, excuse
me,” she said. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying any attention,” she sympathetically said as she bent down to help him pick up his books from the floor.
“Oh, that’s alright,” he replied. “I shouldn’t have been walking in the middle of the hallway.”
When she raised her head up, she looked at him and he looked at her.
“Too Tall, is that you?” he asked.
“Red,” she replied. “It’s you!” she screamed.
Mary jumped up and hugged him as tight as she could.
“Where have you been?” she asked. “I can’t believe it’s really you.”
“I can’t believe it’s you, Too Tall,” he laughed as tears filled his eyes. “How have you been?”
“I’ve been fine,” she stuttered.
She primped her hair and thought; I bet I look a mess. The only thing they could do at that moment was laugh.
“Oh, Red, it’s so good to see you,” she said.
“I’m glad to see you, too,” he replied. “It’s been such a long time. I’ve thought about you a lot.”
“I’ve thought about you, too” she said with a smile. “Red, didn’t you get my letters?”
“No, I didn’t,” he replied with a puzzled look. “I never received a one. After we moved away, I finished high school and then went to Vietnam. That’s where I lost my leg. When I was discharged from the army I decided to enroll in college and get my life back together.”
“But, Red, I wrote you a lot and waited to hear from you,” she said. “I wondered what could have happened to you since you didn’t write me back.”
“Well, Too Tall,” he replied, “we moved around a lot in the jungle and we stayed out in the fields the majority of the time. The mail probably got lost or sent somewhere else. I really don’t know what happened to them.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. We are back together once again,” she said. “Sort of like when we were in high school.”
They laughed, smiled and stared at each other.
“I’ve missed you, Too Tall,” he said.
“I’ve missed you, Red,” she replied.
“Red, you know what’s funny?” she asked.
“No, what?” he replied.
“For the first time in my life, I have never been so glad to hear someone call me Too Tall, as I did when I heard it from you,” she said. “I haven’t been called that since high school.”
“Don’t worry, you don’t have to be called that anymore, Mary,” replied Red. “I have always thought Mary was a pretty name.”
Mary looked at Red and said, “Thank you, William.”
He smiled, hugged her once more and said, “Everyone calls me Bill.”
The two of them had a lot to talk about. There were a lot of years they had to catch up on.
“Mary,” asked Bill, “you know what?”
“No, what?” she replied.
“I guess I’ll be called hop-a-long since I have one leg,” he said. “But, who cares.”
The last two years of college quickly slipped away and the time came for Mary to graduate from college. Mary thought back on the last two years; they had been the happiest times of her life. Her college graduation was better than her high school graduation all because Bill was there with her. It was the class of ’71. Mary and her classmates anxiously waited to receive their college diplomas. Mary looked out into the crowd and saw Bill there supporting her. As the theme song played, Mary looked over at Bill and Bill looked over at her; they gave each other the thumbs-up sign. Mary graduated with high honors and achievements. Bill was very proud of her because she was graduating at the top of her class. The classmates slowly walked across the stage, one by one, and received their diplomas. When Mary passed by Bill, he winked at her and she smiled. Mary’s eyes filled with joy as she walked across the stage. The speaker closed out the ceremony and gave the class of ’71 encouraging words of hope. They all stood and threw their caps high into the air and yelled hooray. Bill made his way through the crowd as he rushed over to Mary and Mary quickly ran through the crowd to him. They met and hugged each other tightly.
Mary looked up to him and said, “Bill, in two more years you are going to walk across that stage in the class of ’73 and I’m going to be sitting out in the audience supporting you.”
“Mary, you are something else!” he shouted.