Lee Note 56 Memories from Carla Poteet June 13, 2001

Well, I'm not ready for a bio yet - mine seems somewhat mundane compared to some I've read. Good life, but not too exciting, comparatively speaking. I will work up to that later.

I do have a memory – or maybe it's a dream, or a nightmare – that I hope that someone can corroborate or refute. I have heard that as you get older your long term memory improves, and your short term memory deteriorates - haven't seen any evidence of the long term improving yet - however, my short term memory is fine - short term does mean 20 to30 minutes, doesn't it?!

Someone mentioned Ms. Plagens and that triggered this memory –she was the wide lady that taught Algebra, was ambidextrous and wrote Algebra rules on the board with BOTH hands at the SAME time (aaaggghhh!), wasn't she?!

Algebra was my worst nightmare in high school - I thought I was probably going to be 25 when I graduated because I would still be trying to pass Algebra! If Algebra was my worst nightmare, Ms. Plagens was "Scream I, II, and III" all rolled into one! One time, we were going to have a terror of a test, and hardly anyone understood what we were doing - some noble classmate convinced us – or most of us - there must have been some intelligent souls in the class who resisted peer pressure – to cheat on the test, the idea being if we ALL did it, we wouldn't get in trouble! (Only the very young & naïve or the very dimwitted should have believed THAT!) HA! Of course, we got caught AND got in trouble - lots of it!

My mom had to come to the principal’s office with me, and it was one of the worst experiences of high school – I expected to be grounded until I graduated! It made such an impression that I've certainly never cheated on ANYTHING again! It was so traumatic for me that I broke out in horrible hives. The reason I remember that is because I was going to some kind of dance, and my mom had sewn for ages on what I thought was absolutely the most beautiful dress, and I was mortified because I had great big red splotches all over me!

Don't remember whose bright idea it was, and it's really not important. Anyone out there remember any of this? I hope not the big red splotches – just the Algebra part! I have also enjoyed reading all the e-mails and am grateful to Kay and the rest of those responsible for all of this!

Sorry that I missed the reunion - hopefully I will be there for the next one! My husband (of 28 years, but who's counting – time flies when you're having fun, right!?), Joe, and I are still in Atlanta after ten years, but I am desperately trying to get back to Texas! Maybe next year! My parents are in Kerrville, and I would love to move to the Hill Country somewhere!

Will be in Kerrville sometime this summer, as usual, but haven't been back to Baytown in AGES! Thanks for the memories, Everyone!

Carla Poteet Wheeler