I am unique

It all started with a simple question in seminary - was there really a time when girls could only wear skirts to school? Yes, and I lived during that time. If my memory is correct, girls were allowed to wear pants for the first time while I was in 6th grade. But what makes me unique, I wore pants to school in 5th grade and with permission.

The fifth grade classes through Shelley Elementary were held in Taylorsville in a 4 room building about 5 miles outside of town. When you turned 10, you were excited to go to school because you got to got there and be away from everyone else. That is if you were one of the lucky 100 students because one class continued to be held in town. 5th grade meant you had the best school lunches in all of Idaho. You actually walked through the little kitchen holding your tray and asked for more or less of something depending on your taste. It meant being able to walk back into the kitchen and have your pickle bowl refilled with those crunchy, sweet slices as many times as you wanted. 5th grade meant you had the whole play yard to yourself, that you did not have to share the swings with the little kids or wait you turn after the "cool" 6th graders were finished. 5th grade meant you had P.E. in the broiler room in the basement during the winter months and you got to tumble on mats for fun. 5th grade just made you feel great and special, but that is not what made me unique.

Wearing pants in 5th grade is what made me unique. Why was I wearing pants then because I had a crazy knee. My knee would lock in a bent position and I could not straighten it out. It hurt too much and would ache if I tried to straighten it. I would walk with a limp because of this. My parents took me to my doctor to help but he did not know what was wrong. I remember him trying to pull it straight and it hurt too much. He decided that x-rays may help solve the mystery, so I was sent to the hospital and they took x-ray after x-ray. Miserable x-rays that seemed to last for hours. I would lie on the table with sandbags weighing my leg down so it would not move and they would take an x-ray. Then the technician would come in, move my leg slightly, readjust the sandbag and start over; again and again. After the doctor evaluated the information, my parents were told to take me to Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah and see what they could do to help. Upon arrival we were informed I was scheduled for surgery the following day, in preparation of surgery I was not allowed to eat for the next 12 hours. During the morning of the surgery the x-rays started again and this time with a "specialist" looking at them. His conclusion, NO SURGERY needed, I was sent home with the decision they did not really know what was wrong but I would grow out of it. My mom told me years later that she was under the impression the doctors initially thought I had cancer and that is why the surgery was scheduled. The other decision that came from all the testing was - cold made it worst! Thus, pants were allowed to be wore because they kept my legs warmer; making me unique - the first girl in my class to wear pants to school and with permission - according to my seminary class.

I did eventually grow out of it - but still to this day I do not know what caused the problem.

5th Grade School Picture