The Wisdom of Doc Series: (part 2)

This series includes excerpts from an autobiography by Dr. Deorsey Earl McGruder, Jr., an African Cherokee veterinarian from Oklahoma, written in the 1970’s. He reflects on life experiences and shares his wisdom.

Chapter 2: Celebrate your life!

“I had 3 sisters older than myself.  We were approximately 2 yrs apart.  One sister I played with was 2 years older than me.  We were into everything together.  We made mud pies sun up to sun down.  We climbed trees, ran chickens, and played on the seesaw I had made.  I would pop her up in the air and she would fall off sometimes head first.  She would get back up and go again.  The seesaw was made of a 2X4 across a tree stump.  So you can see there was no place to hold when sailing in the air. 

Daddy worked at the veteran’s hospital as a hospital aid.  By working at the hospital, he would have different work schedules.  One day after working all night, he was supposed to look after us while our mother went to town. We lived on 34th Street — but across the railroad tracks. To get to our house, the bus stop was on 34th Street — but about 10 blocks south.  

We got tired of waiting for mother, so we decided to go meet her.  We were walking hand in hand, just about to cross the tracks.  She so happened to come in the opposite direction.  She met us just when we crossed the tracks.  I imagine there were anxious moments when trains traveled the racks.  They traveled very fast; and all that you could hear was a train that was traveling about 50mph not slowing up for anything.  

In front of us, there was a rodeo every weekend. Instead of horses, little carts were pulled by goats. Sometimes the goats would get out of the fence and climb on top of the house.  Other times they jumped on top of the toilet.  You had to pick your time when you wanted to go to the restrooms. 

I finally got old enough, and I could start 1st grade.  I didn’t mind going to school.  I had good teachers.  Since I had 3 sisters who had gone to Wheatley School, I was a marked person.  If I got into trouble, my teachers would just tell my big sister.  

The school was on 24th Street and we lived on 34th Street.  We could have walked to the tracks and be at the back door of the school yard:  but, you might run into a train or a hobo.  We had to go under the viaduct, across a track that led through Whitt’s yard and then to a through street.  That took us all the way to school. 

I had fond memories of grade school.  I had good teachers.  Being in a small town, everyone knew your mother, father, grandparents, uncles and the sister that attended school ahead of me. The teacher’s opinions were well formed by the time they got around to calling your name (attendance).  My sisters were good students and didn’t cause any problems.  

Still, while attending elementary school, there was another large family who attended school.  They were the Jackson family.  I don’t know how it got started, but we used to fight everyday after school.  I would jump on one of the kids and knock him down on the ground.  The bigger girls would grab me by the seat of my pants and pull me off.  Needless to say, word got around to the Principal’s Office.  She would keep one of us in, so that we wouldn’t fight.  We would just wait on them and fight a little later.  Over the months, I think we got tired of fighting.  

As with every young warm-blooded American boy, there comes noticing of little girls.  We would just see the girls in class because in those days we had separate playgrounds.  There was no fence separating the two:  just an imaginary line that you dare not cross.  However, curiosity would get to the best of me.  It wouldn’t be long that the teacher would find out about my venture.  

The only day you could be together was “May Day.” The 1st day of May we would wrap the flagpole.  Everyone would have a 2 inch strip of crape paper extending from the top of the pole.  We would sing the “May Day” song, skipping and jumping around the pole until everyone was right-centered of the pole.  Then we would go in the opposite direction, and unwind the pole, and then another class would take over.  

This carnival activity lasted one day.  We would eat on the grounds.  It was especially exciting because boys and girls were together.  The highlight of this activity was that it was also my birthday!”