Reply #13: My favorite story from my childhood [View All]

[skygazer]

When I started kindergarten (in 1966) on my first day, we were told to take our seats. The classroom had different colored little chairs and the teacher told us to take a seat, girls in the pink chairs and boys in the blue.

I hated pink. I wanted to sit in a blue chair. I was a shy child but I knew what I wanted so, very afraid but determined, I sat in a blue chair.

Teacher came over and told me, "No, no, Skygazer, you have to sit in a pink chair. The girls all sit in pink chairs" and she tried to take my hand and lead me to one of the dreadful pink things.

I clasped my hands around the bottom of the seat and began to cry. I was petrified but I wasn't going to move. The teacher made a few more efforts and eventually, my mother was called in.

The teacher explained the problem and my mother looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she said, "Why CAN'T she sit in the blue chair?"

After that, there was no division - children sat in whatever chair they wanted to. My parents were great - they never differentiated about sex in the slightest. My dad taught me to use tools and fix things, my brother learned how to cook and clean. I'm so grateful to have grown up that way.