Farrah

In the fall of 1965, my wife happened to renew an acquaintance with a female student from her hometown, who was then an undergraduate at The University of Texas.  One day we drove this student back  to her dorm, and she told me that she wanted me to meet her suite mate from Corpus Christi.  For want of a better option, I agreed and went inside to the waiting room.   A few minutes later she came down with Farrah Fawcett.  Immediately I fantasized about whether I could annul my recent marriage, or simply run off as the South Carolina governor did recently.  To put it mildly, Farrah was a knockout!  I  knew it was important to say just the right thing,  but I was having a problem since my spine was beginning to give way,  and I feared I might double over.  When Farrah said “Hi, Jimmy,”  I looked around the room for an oxygen tank (not very common in a college dorm, but I’ve seen a lot since).   Anyway, I recovered quickly and responded coolly ” Hello there, Blondie.”  Actually I think I just made a sound, not really a word.  Farrah never did call after that,  so I decided to play it cool myself.  I hear she later found happiness for a few years with Lee Majors, but I’m sorry she died never really knowing what she missed.

A Summer at Lander

I taught English in summer school at Lander College, Greenwood, South Carolina,  in 1973.  Lander had the distinction of being the only four-year liberal arts college in the United States that was supported by a county. Greenwood Mills, the local textile mill, was the main financial contributor.  Unfortunately the support was not particularly strong, and as a result the College was not in very good shape, financially or physically.  Since few of the buildings were air conditioned,  when I showed up for the first class day,  I learned that our class was to be held in the Men’s Room in the Gym.  This was one of the few buildings that had an adequate air conditioning system.  The room we were assigned was the men’s  locker room, which connected to the showers and stalls by an opening but no door.  All the chairs faced that opening.  As I came in the room, the class was almost filled.  Suddenly we heard a flush and an opening stall door.  I still remember that student coming out to find a room full of people, male and female, sitting in chairs facing him.  I decided to move the class outside to the bleachers on the soccer field, where me met for the rest of the summer.