boyhood sketch 12. MY NOSE JOB

later remodelled structure

Grades four through six were at Robertson Public School on Church Street, just a five-minute walk from our home, so a left turn on to Clark Street to Church Street ,to the right and just past the First United Church. Or, we could leave home and jog to the right to Daniel Street, hang a short left and enter the large school playground of dust and dirt. 

original design with tower & bell

In grade four, during recess I did a belly slide down an icy schoolyard hill in winter and took out the legs of a boy at the bottom who promptly sat on my head flattening my nose into the ice. I was taken to the doctor whose remedy was to stick his baby finger in each side of my nose straightening the soft cartilage and back to school I went. Over several days I proudly wore a nose with several shades of purple. I like purple.

We played ball hockey on the school property after hours. An asphalt area was perfect near the main building. Often a couple of us would take turns, one in net and one shooting the tennis ball. We were good, fast, accurate, in goal or out of goal, just like our favourite St. Catharines Teepees (later called Black Hawks), like Elmer (Moose) Vasco, Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Pierre Pilote, Phil Esposito, Roger Crozier and scores more. Other times several of us would play teams, three on three. Carefree, joyful, exuberant days of boyhood.