Recently when I was watching something on You Tube, it got interrupted by an ad for the movie, Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret.

The movie is based on the book by Judy Blume with the same title.

Ah, Judy Blume!

The first time I heard the name, Judy Blume, was when my 2nd grade teacher read us the book, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.

I loved this time during class when she would read to us. She was very animated and to this day, I can still hear her talking in Fudge’s voice calling out, “PEETAH”!

Coming across Judy Blume in that ad, brought up other memories of being 7 years old and being in 2nd grade.

I loved being 7, it rhymed with heaven.

Speaking of heaven, when I turned seven, my parents bought me my first Bible.

It had a white cover, and the pages were lined in orange. My name was engraved on the front in gold.

I was so happy about my new Bible; I took it outside and walked around with it. I still have it.

I did kindergarten and 1st grade at Christian Life Center in Stockton, California.

During my 2nd grade year, I went to Parklane Elementary School there in Stockton.

Parklane Elementary School was literally within walking distance from our house.

But there was a great divide in the form of a shallow creek that sometimes had crawdads.

So, per the school, we had to take the school bus and go the long way. Probably took all of five minutes.

This school bus had music playing through its speakers.

It was worldly music, the kind my parents never had playing in our home.

It was on this school bus when I first heard the song, My Baby Takes the Morning Train and little sinful Missy loved it.

As soon as that intro started, my seven-year-old heart would soar.

To this day if I come across it in my travels, I am back on that school bus.

I enjoyed 2nd grade at a public school. It was different from going to my church’s school, but I just went with the flow.

I liked my teacher, Mrs. Kessler (sp?) and I liked the kids in my classroom.

I especially liked Lloyd. He was the first boy I ever chased after out on the playground, and he loved it!

I became best friends with a girl who was of the Asian persuasion.

We got along great, and we were rowdy together.

One day, Tinka did something that surprised me.

We were standing outside in line for lunch and acting wild when out of nowhere, she yanked my red and white, elastic at the waist skirt all the way down!

I immediately yanked it back up and I was so glad that I was wearing white tights because it made me feel less exposed.

I was so relieved that none of the kids around us saw what just happened.

Tinka just laughed it off.

I got her back though by getting her in trouble for a different stunt.

During our regular class, there were a few of us kids that had to go to another class that was advanced.

We had to walk some distance to get to this other class.

One of those times, I told Tinka that we should skip this class and hide out in the girls’ restroom until it was over.

She took me up on it and all was fine until another girl from that class came to use the restroom and saw us hiding.

Of course, she told on us, and we both got in trouble.

Punishment was no recess.

I had to stand at a wall, and I was so embarrassed.

My dad told me later that he drove by my school and saw me, “holding up the wall”.

That was the first time I had ever heard it put that way, and he would continue to use that phrase on us kids whenever we were in some kind of time out at school.

The day after our failed attempt at ditching class, I waited for Tinka as usual where her parents would drop her off at school.

She got out of the car and told me that her parents told her not to be friends with me anymore.

So this was it, huh?

I didn’t say anything back to her because the adults in the car were still gawking.

I turned around embarrassed and headed for the playground in search of a new best friend.

I found one. His name was Mark. He had dark curly hair, freckles on his face and he was funny…

Later on, my parents bought me a copy of, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and I enjoyed reading it on my own.

Thank you, Judy Blume, for the memories!

~missy salcido wead