Van Swearingen
Originally uploaded by Brite light photos.
Son of Cheese, that awful nickname we had for Mr. Swearingen.
It wasn't that Van was likely to say something to dear old dad. Van was good guy I remember, but had a certain sadness about him, perhaps the burden of his dad being the principal. Maybe it something else like seasonal affective disorder. God knows I had it during those long winter months. (And I still do. Why do you think I'm so fixated on living in the tropics?)
My mother was a teacher, a 4th grade teacher at R.R. Rogers school in Jamestown, a school largely populated by Puerto Rican immigrant children who spoke a very staccato Spanish, precious little of which she could understand.
I'm not entirely sure what that has to do with Van Swearingen being the son of Cloise E Swearingen, except that it jumped into my mind as I thought about my mother getting to know many of the SWCS teachers through various teacher functions around Jamestown.
I never had a chance walking into a new classroom. The teachers all knew that I was Evelyn F. Fitzgerald's son and also what her expectations were for me. It all started with Robert Lamp in the sixth grade and I was still dealing with it in senior year with Harry Robie and Hubie Davis.
It took me several years in high school to figure that one out, too.
So I wonder what kind of expectations the teachers had of Van, son of the boss so to speak? I remember Van did very well in school, and his photo pops up in various athletic photos. A well-rounded guy.
Let's hope Van makes it to the reunion. I want to buy him a drink in honor of his dad who put up with all of us.
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