When I am nine years old
and in the fourth grade,
my hair is cut above my ears and I am
many times mistaken for a boy.
I am most alive
when climbing highest in a tree
while competing with all the
neighborhood children living
in our little beachside village.
One day, there is
a school-wide competition
among the boys AND the girls,
all competing against each other.
The President of the United States,
Dwight D. Eisenhower
announces he is leading a fitness campaign
throughout the land!
We children are to glorify what it means to
“Be An American!”
This comes on the heels of World War II,
and we children make elaborate plans to take part.
The race categories involve
sprints;
distance races;
high jumps;
long jumps;
pull-ups;
and push-ups.
I win.
I win over
all the boys and all the girls.
I win over my entire grade school of
first through sixth graders.
After hearing the news my mother
and my sister tackle me,
bathe me, curl my hair,
put me in a brand new dress,
and march me up to the school
to receive my award
in front of
the entire student body.
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