10/23/2011
This is about a true hayseed moving to the big city of Mesa, Arizona from Concho, Arizona. I was in fifth grade then, so I was eleven. Mother had asked dad to move us to the city so we could get some of the opportunities in education and future life experiences that Concho simply didn’t have. Somehow dad traded the white house in Concho for a house on a long, lean strip of a lot at 1056 E. 6th Avenue in Mesa and we were off to the races as big city folks.
We traded a school in Concho with two classrooms, first to fourth in one and fifth to eighth in the other for, in my case, as single school for the fifth grade with ten thousand classrooms, or so it seemed. I began to recognize that we were “different” when my teacher asked me to step out of the room and stand in the hall for a moment. Not wishing to miss anything I listened as she told the rest of the students to knock off the nasty comments and play nice with me. I didn’t know we were financially poor, and looked like we just came out of last the century. I didn’t know that being a left-handed, studdering, “Mexican”, from the sticks was all that serious of an offense. But, then I really didn’t know enough to even know that I was being talked about, or made the blunt of crude, childish jokes and pranks.
Two very positive things come from this story. The first is that this wonderful teacher, Mrs. Cheeney was kind enough to see a problem, reach down and help someone up the ladder of life. The second came a few weeks later. I remember like it was yesterday that we were sitting in chairs like we have in the choir loft, only wood with no soft cushions and a teacher was trying to get us to learn the beautiful song, America the Beautiful. The kids like any normal gangly group of eleven year olds, were off in their own worlds and not really interested in learning much of anything. We were getting really tired and I put my head forward to rest a bit when this warm, sweet little blond girl, named _______ Ellsworth, put her hand on my head gave me a sweet rub. Without saying anything in words she conveyed a feeling that all was well and that she didn’t think I was all that bad.
I took those two experiences with me to the classroom for my future years as a student and as a teacher. Today in our Sunday school class of seven and eight year olds, we talked about being pure, as in “pure in heart.” Grandmother Jacobs and I try, each week, to follow the example of Mrs. Cheeney and the sweet blond Ellsworth girl and seek out those who may need a small hand up. This work that we are all vested in as mortals is about a single thing. Our sole job in this earthly realm is to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit and reach out of our comfort zone to help those who are least able to help themselves. We promised God we would do our best so we could return to his presence. This is the example our Savior gave us to follow. Every act he did was to give us comfort and assurance. His final act on the earth gave us the atonement for our sins and the opportunity for all mankind to have eternal life. As we share our lives with others, may we be a positive influence on the lives of all those with whom we come in contact.
God bless you in all your worthy efforts.
GPA Duane Jacobs, friend, grandpa, uncle, cousin, popsa, etc.