Georgia Speaking

While Georgia was enrolled in the Central Square High School, her mother arranged for her to take advanced credit in math at Syracuse University, which was convenient enough because she could travel there with her older brother Freddie, whom their mother had convinced the Veteran’s Administration to support through four years of college. Georgia was smart enough that she probably could have overcome the normal high school distraction of boyfriend crushes to do High School and college classes at the same time: There was a boy with whom she collaborated for a class assignment for which they wrote a short “novel” about a world war during which one side prevailed by means of their abillity to control the weather. Maybe it was a prophetic work, but I don’t know how the war turned out, or if there is a copy of the story anywhere, and anyway … there was no romance involved in the collaboration. Then there was a classsmate, for whom she had some fond feeling, and who actually sent her a Valentine. Unfortunately it was a normal Winter in those parts, with a heavy snow on Tug Hill, and the Cuningham mail box was burried under the snowbank for several days, so by the time they dug it out and Georgia found the valentine she had already dissapointed the boy not responding, or so she thought; and anyway, she was about as shy as she could be, and didn’t speak up. I don’t know how much extra help she got in the school: She didn’t tell me about her high school teachers, except about the day when the whole school was called to an assembly, for which the teachers were brought on stage, or all the female teachers, if there were any men at all. A staff member went along the line-up with a measuring strick that had a mark showing the maximum acceptable level of the skirt or dress hem above the floor. I suppose all had been informed of the regulation. Georgia’s r favorite teacher’s skirt was over the red line; and so she was soon gone. I guess there was no student uprising, and it seems no parents spoke up about this stupid cruelty. More or less on her own, but always with her Mom’s support, Georgia did very well in that imperfect school; so well that she graduated at the top of her class, and the problem was that a the class valedictorian, she would be obliged to get up on that stage and give the valedictory speach. Bit as well as she performed in schooll otherwise, and though she could not just write a speach, but recite it from memory, she was still a mere mumbler, and if she didn’t some how learn to SPEAK UP, no one beyond the first row of the assembly would hear her. Pearl had a plan for that. She directed Georgia to stand on that porch, and, after she herself stood a few yards back, to start reciting the speach. Which Georgia did: “ We are gathered here to celebrate our four years of learning, friendship, and indoor plumbing …” “ LOUDER”, Responded Pearl. Which Georgia just managed to do, to her mother’s satisfaction. Then Pearl took a few more steps back. Georgia spoke up. “We are gathered here to celebrate our four years of learning, friendship, and indoor plumbing …” Pearl backed a few steps. “ Okay, now continue!” “ We are gathered here to celebrate our four years of learning, friendship, and indoor plumbing…” …” “ Good enough.” Pearl took a few more steps back ….. And so on. Maybe you can see more or less where this is headed. I had to make up Georgia’s words here, but not only was her was the valedictorian speach a great success, it was the first obvious step on her journey to Masters AND Doctorate degrees in both Speech and in Theater. Yes, Although she would never aim to be an actor, just a set designer; and she would never get work in that line of (man's)work either.