[Evans, Marv]

I was a good/bad kid. I never stole, seldom lied, protected kids getting bullied, & was a good team player with other kids & in sports. But in elementary school I was a terror for a few years. I can't figure out why to this day. In fifth grade, I made the teacher so mad one day, she hit me on the head with her wooden paddle - cracked the paddle. Our parents fed, clothed us & did the basic things. Their idea of kids was that they "were to be seen & not heard." The extent of counseling and advice consisted of telling us what we should do and shouldn't do. Both had a tendency to use the belt, stick, or whatever was at hand. My dad broke a leather belt on me in first grade. I remember him standing me on top of a stool go whip me in second or third grade and using a razor strap later on. My mother hit me until I was pretty old until one day at the age of 14, she was hitting me across the back with a green stick from an apricot tree. Since I was just standing there not reacting, she got madder and finally hit me across the back of the neck. I turned around, took the stick and broke it into small pieces, and told her I was too old to whip. Didn't get whipped after that. Lots of times I was sort of amazed when at other kids' houses and the parents would interact with their kids in a respectful, rational way.