Our catch phrase is on its way.

Dear Fellow Earthlings,

I turned 10 years of age on January 10, 1958. I can’t recall what unkind thing my father did to me on the morning of my tenth birthday, but I do recall that I was very sad to be treated that way. What I do remember is how my Aunt Emma (one of my mother’s younger sisters) presented me with a huge “Rand McNally Map of the United States” for my birthday. The map was as wide as I was tall – and was about one meter in height. I thank you, Emma! That map helped me cultivate a deep love of geography – and of the Earth. My 5th grade teacher was Miss Emma Fisher (a second important “Emma” in my life). Miss Fisher ranks just behind my second grade teacher Thelma Koblitz (See Installment 108.) as the best teacher I ever had. Miss Fisher taught me about Rachel Carson’s book “The Sea Around Us”, awakening in me a concern for protecting Earth’s natural environment. Also, Miss Fisher taught me about the great dinosaurs that once roamed the Earth – and of how while some extinctions are due to natural causes, others are due to the recklessness and ignorance of humans. Among the many other things Miss Fisher taught me was the joy of teaching. She had me tutor one of my classmates (Let’s call him “Joe”.) who had been held back a year because he was a poor reader. I helped Joe improve his reading a lot – and learned from him how to always protect a student’s dignity when I teach. Yes, two ladies named “Emma” helped make my tenth year one of accomplishment and personal growth! For Christmas (on December 25, 1957, just days before my 10th birthday), I was overjoyed when my parents gave me a set of some 30 toy dinosaurs. Pictured with today’s blog are two of those actual critters: stegosaurus on the left, ankylosaurus on the right. I took the picture just a couple of days ago. As you can see, they have a hefty appetite for plants! The other picture is of 10-year-old me, taken at my home in the spring of 1958. That’s me looking downward as I hold my younger brother Frank, aged 6. To my left is my Uncle “D” Donald Walker (27 years old -- See installments 52 and 92 .). In the front row, left to right, are my father (32), my great-uncle Kay Graves (about 50), and my stunningly handsome and muscular uncle Charles “Charlie” Walker, aged 18 (the same age as my Aunt Emma, not pictured).

Steve Walker, Earthsaver and Jingles Creator

© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.