THE LUNCH ROOM

My grade school days in Corbin, Kansas, were spent in a rather large brick building at the south end of town.

The ground floor had two schoolrooms, one for grades 1 - 4, the other, grades 5 - 8.  The top floor was a small "auditorium" used for monthly community meetings.

There were only four in my class. Carolyn Ginn, Marilyn and Carolyn Wilson (twins) and myself.

I walked to school every morning (unless the weather was dreadful) carrying my brown bag for lunch.

It was usually a sandwich (peanut butter and jelly or bologna and a piece of fruit (one of three, apple, orange, or banana)

When I was in the third grade, that all changed.   Part of the auditorium was converted into a kitchen, a cook was hired and we had hot lunches for the first time. Everyone, including parents were thrilled at this new innovation.   And these lunches were first rate.  Real home-cooked food.  Salisbury steak and mashed potatoes.   Cling peaches and cottage cheese.   Not a microwave in sight.

In the photo below.....In the back, our cook and our two teachers.   Me?  I'm the second boy toward the back at the table on the left. Yeah, the one with the bangs in the striped shirt!  Yay!  Hot lunches!  Simpler times.





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