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MR.
KNOW-IT-ALL
by
George Lester |  |
I
was never
was what you would call a bright student. It was a struggle trying to keep up
with the others at Eureka School. Subjects such as geography, math, and English,
or anything technical were difficult for me to comprehend. I excelled in only
one thing. Reading just came naturally, I guess. I could perform on the level
of students several grades ahead of me. When we were asked to read aloud, it was
so simple for me that the teacher and some of the students thought I had memorized
the words. I proved my reading skills by asking them to open any book to a page
of their choosing. Then I would glide through the printed words with an ease that
left no doubt about my integrity.
If this gives an impression of boasting,
I hasten to add that I would have gladly sacrificed this one talent to be able
to understand the other subjects as well. Even at that tender age, I must have
known that I would find it difficult getting through school by just reading. I
used my one skill to pore over the encyclopedia we had at home. I was mesmerized
by the volumes of information tucked into those pages, and, by the time I reached
the fourth grade, I had consumed the entire set. The only problem was that I wouldn’t
hesitate to contribute my “two cents” every time the teacher discussed a subject
with which I was familiar.
Eureka was a two-room schoolhouse, with the
first grade through the fourth grade in one room and the fifth grade through the
eighth grade in the other. While working with one class, the teacher would tell
the other students to study. I couldn’t help but overhear what she was telling
the students in the other class. If she brought up a subject such as the manufacturing
of steel, I had to tell her what I had read about it. She should have told me
to be quiet and study, but she never did.
At the end of the school year,
I had somehow managed to pass and advance to the fifth grade. When the teacher
said goodbye to all of us for the summer, I noticed that she had an extra big
smile for me. I thought it was because she liked me better than the rest of the
students. Looking back now, I realize she was just happy that I was moving to
the other room. |
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