School Story:
Moved to BA from Tulsa in the 5th Grade. Loved our small town, at that time about 3,000 in population. Up to the end of my 9th grade I enjoyed studying. In the 7th grade Greg Dodd and I got in trouble for talking. Greg was striking matches 'in class'. We were sent to the principals office. Greg was spanked and I was fussed at. It seems I spent a few times in the cloak room or hallway for talking. Ben Banfield would sing to me, "Oh, mah darlin', Oh mah darlin, Oh mah darlin P.J. Jones...".
Was a cheerleader in the 7th grade, in band 8th-12th. Tho' still pretty good grades, from 9th-12th I started playing more and studying less. I loved having slumber parties. On occasion... we girls climbed the fence into the public pool to swim. One time the boys beat us in. We girls hid behind mounds of gravel in the parking lot. We got in/out, and Chief Rampey took his turn. Only difference... Chief had a key! Another time, another party, we drove our old red station wagon thru the breezeway between the classroom buildings (now enclosed). Two of the girls, maybe Paula and Lana (?), would watch on either side to see if we were going to clear the poles. MAYBE their was an inch or so on either side. Do they say, "Ignorance is bliss?" We painted the street in front of the school, Seniors '65, and in front of Mr. Townsend's home, "Mickey Mouse". I can't believe we would do that. My mother is the one who mixed the paint for us. She was so sweet, fun and full of life. That same night, my brother, Ralph Jones, rode on his little Honda cycle to warn us girls that the police were out and about. Were they looking for us? Well... we girls saw the lights of a car pull through the school parking lot. We were flat on our backs behind the (?) telephone like poles lying flat to show the parking area. We weren't 'apprehended' = ). BUT... My brother? Picked up and taken to Smokey's jail. Mama and daddy had to pick him up. Remember back then we had early curfews. Well, we were all out passed curfew.
Once after graduating we had a last dance at The Youth Center. Remember, my dad had a soda fountain, juke box and a dance floor in the back of the Music Center. Later, we had a slumber party at my house and just do something silly the girls and I climbed the street/hill to the Lutheran church in our baby doll pajamas early in the morning.
Oh, yes, once Lana Cross taught me to pop my knuckles in the balcony of First Methodist Church. In Biology class I wrote my friend, Neal Packard, a note and passed it to him. It read, "I love you, Neal George." Mr. Lockhart retrieved it and read it OUT LOUD to the class. I was soooo embarrassed! Don't know why I did this, trying to be funny, I guess. I spoke with Neal a few years ago and he still remembered. Silly girl!
Never knew much about sports, just liked some of the players. =) Before the marching band days, it seems some of the girls and I on occasion would walk around the field during the game and talk.
Everyone will agree Mr. Gesin was the very best band instructor! Some of my high school memories of band? 1) Mr. G. had a temper. Once some mistakes were made on the field. After the game
he came storming thru the band room, knocking over the chairs in his path, and threw his baton! As I recall... it stuck in someone's trumpet case. 2) Mr. G. said, "I don't want anyone talking! The next one who talks, I don't care if it's Marsha Brown their out!" Marsha would have never talked out! No one dared say anything! We had a healthy, fearful, respect for him and probably feared we might have his baton thrown at one of us. *gulp* He admirably held our respect and we loved him! 3) He said, "Play loudly. If you're going to make a mistake, make it good an' loud." Ahhh... those were the days. We all loved band! His tough expectations made it a joy!
In class one day Jimmy Bivins and I folded our arms up, spit in our hands and rub it on our skin to make dirt balls in the hair and then pull them off our arms. *ouch* I curled Jimmy Dalton's eyelashes with my eyelash curler in some class. In Chemistry class I flew a paper airplane that was supposed to go to someone in the front seat of our row. Mr. Lockhart was writing on the blackboard. The plane flew past the person on the front row and hit the blackboard right by Mr. Lockhart's face. He turned around and said, "JONES!" How did he know it was me? I think that was all he said. I don't recall getting into trouble for it.
I remember my precious daddy bringing me a wonderful gold charm bracelet from Brazil. It had soft little teacups, saucers, and teapots dangling from it. I wore it to school just one day. It must have fallen off. Anyway, I ran to the office to see if anyone had turned it in. NO LUCK! Did any of you Tigers find it? *sniff* Funny, even now I would hope to find it!
One last memory out of so many. Mr. Townsend took Mr. Gesin's place as band director. He was quite inferior to Mr. G's command of excellence. We went into a half-time show quite unprepared. ON THE FIELD mind you... we, the band, did NOT know what to do. We turned the wrong directions, trombone players collided/locking instruments, members fell down, and we were literally, humiliatingly LAUGHED OFF THE FIELD! I thought perhaps I imagined the memory, but in speaking with everyone's favorite... Johnnie Lofton... he recalled it the same way.
We HAVE the most wonderful classmates in BA history! I'm so very glad to have been a part of Broken Arrow's life during her sweet, innocent, small years. However... my brother, called Broken Arrow, 'a little den of iniquity'! I miss my brother. He went to be with the LORD June 29, 2009.
Want to know a funny on him? My precious brother that is? Well, remember when streaking was in? Our high school class was graduated by then. Ralph and some of his high school buddies decided that one of them would streak down the midway at the Tulsa State Fair. Goofy guys! My brother was chosen to do the streaking, the other two (?) took his clothes and drove to the other side of the fairgrounds to be ready to pick him up and screech out of there. However... just one tiny detail was not thought out properly. JUST HOW CROWDED IS THE MIDWAY AT THE FAIR? Like, duh!!! He didn't get very far in his run, was surrounded by the crowd, and... yep... apprehended by the police! My dad was called to pick him up at the jail. Actually, I think he let him stay there overnight. (This was the time of college streaker goofoffs!) His discipline? My dad was a quiet and gentle man. He said very little, took him to the BA barber and had him shave Ralph's head. Ralph loved his hair. Crazy discipline, but that's the story and I'm sticking to it. I love/loved my brother with all my heart! Best Buds! My BA memories would pale next to his! We both love/loved our BA friends!
I was a good, happy 'church goer'. In the spring of my freshman year at OSU a bus load of students from OSU/TU went to California to Campus Crusade for Christ to learn how to share our faith in Christ more effectively. It was there I found I had only known 'about' Him and never known Him as my Savior and Lord. There in California at the former Hilton Hotel and Health Spa (the very one where Elizabeth Taylor Hilton spent her honeymoon and Esther Williams made at least one of her swimming movies) on the hillside overlooking San Bernadino Valley that I said to God, "You know, I may have asked you in to my life a 1000 times. I don't know. But I 'am' asking you now, for real, to please forgive me of my sin. Thank you for dying for my sin. I invite you to come into my life and make me the person you created me to be." Life began for me at that very moment.
I love Him, my family, my country, and I love everyone of you!
THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES!
YOU'RE THE BEST!!!
