21st
February 2012
Dear Cassi,
When I was in grade school gofers were a common
thing in the schoolyard. They could have been moles and as I’m not sure as to
the difference I will call them gofers.
As it happened the rule was that we, the children,
were not allowed to dig or put our hands in the sand on the school ground.
This, they told us, was because cats pooped in the sand and they didn’t want
children playing with poop. I guess in the world of six to eight year olds
playing with poop is something that was done.
In any case, I was walking to the jungle gym one day
and got my foot stuck in a hole made by one of those pesky gophers and tripped.
It didn’t hurt much and I was more fascinated by the whole that wasn’t there a
moment ago.
I pulled my foot out and looked in wondering if I
could see a tunnel and moving the dirt around with my hands. This was when I
heard a teacher call me and looked up.
I don’t remember what teacher or even of teacher is
the right word to describe this person. She accused me of digging in the sand,
and I said that I had tripped on a gopher hole. She didn’t believe me and said
if “it was a gopher hole then there wouldn’t be grass in it.”
“The ground gave out from under me,” I replied, “why
wouldn’t there be grass in the hole?”
“If it was a gopher hole how did you get dirt on
your hands?”
“I reached down to see what the hole was.”
In the end I think I got in trouble for it but in
the case I have to agree with the teacher. Better safe than sorry when it comes
to kids playing with cat poop.
Keep your hands clean, little sister
Richard Leland Neal
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