Also when my father and mother flew to other countries, I went along with my tutors.

Often in the United States (at home) or when we were in other countries my parents went to big parties where I was also invited.  A few other children went to some of the parties, but often I was there with lots of adults, the only child.  Children I did see at patries, and those on the streets, were very different from me.

After I learned to write I liked making lists of things I enjoyed or disliked.  Things that were sweet and sour.  One of my tutors Margaret said, “Lists help you remember what and why you feel like yo do.”  I found that true and one of my lists was of the ways that I looked differnt from other people.

The tutors poo- pooed me about the differences and Margaret said, “Think of the similarities, not the differences.  I made that list also.

I looked in a mirrow to compile my list of differences, (1) Big head, (2) pointed head, (3) fish ears. (once a doctor said that).  I’ve looked at lots of fish and he was right.  My ears hear just fine, but they are flat on my head, like lots of fish.  My parents didn’t like the remark and that doctor was not called to see me anymore. (4) Eyes, mine are twice as big as anyone elses and oraneage yellow in color.  Other people have brown, green, or blue, sometimes hazal eyes.  People comment about my eyes more than anything else.  They use the words, ‘Beautiful’, and ‘Striking’ to describe them.

I think they always mention my eyes to be polite.  If they mentioned my mouth, what could they say, ‘It’s missing usual lips.’

My mother won the school argument and I was off to school where I would be ‘socialized’.

In school the major thing it seemed was to line up and march places.  I was the same height as the other kids, but I had on the wrong clothes.  I had on the black velvet suit that I last wore in Paris.  It went with a hat, but I was told that no hats were worn in class, the teachers put it away with my cloak in the locker room.  None of the other boys were even wearing church clothing.  They wore blue jean type work outfits.  My father said, “Son you will be going to school with my plant workers sons and daughters.  You will really not be like them.”  I was really not, and they seemed to find me invisible.

The teachers constantly told us not to talk and that did not stop their chatter.

The other kids did know I was there, I could hear them talk about me.  My ears were flat — like fish, but I could hear very well.  The first topic about me was about my gender.  The girls wondered if I was a boy or girl.  It seems girls only wear velvet.

A small boy, the others called Kevin, said, “It’s maybe not either boy or girl, it may be an alien.  It might even be a plant, some sort of onion or raddish.”

After a week of rude remarks by boys and laughing by girls, but no one talking to me, I went to my dad one night and said, “Dad I’m just too different from all the oher kids in that school to go to classes with them.”

“Why son, do they insult you?”

“Yes sir, but not to my face.  They call me names behind my back and think I don’t hear.  To my face they don’t even say ‘hello’.

“Well what have you heard them say son?”

“Well they have several names for me.”

“Like what?”

“Turnip head, Alien, Big Top, Girl-boy, Plant-Boy.  That’s a few of the names.  Some of the names used are the names of female and male sexual organs, or things expelled from the body when one goes to the bathroom.”

“Do the teachers hear students say those things about you?”

“The teachers whisper among themselves and repeat the things kids say.  They laugh about how I look as well as do the kids.”

“Do they know you hear them?”

“No I hear real well with my fish looking ears dad.  I think other normal looking kids can’t hear as well as I can.”

“Can you remember the names of any of the boys or girls who called you those names or other names.”

“Kevin and Judy are the two biggest offenders.  All the teachers think I’m funny looking and say it to each other.”

“You never conplained about the tutors at home.”

“I think dad that the teachers at home know teaching me is their job.  They live at our house, eat with us and travel when we travel.

I am important at home, at school the teachers judge me by how I look and I am to them not ‘Jerry’, but ‘The Weird-O’.  At school we have 5 teachers and 7 teachers aids for my class of 30 kids, all five teach us things that I already know.

I know how to read, as do a few others, I think one other boy and 4 girls.

So we can read and use numbers, but we have to march in lines from class to class ot hear what we already know.”

“Did you tell the teachers you already read and know math?”

“The ohter boy who reads did.  His name is Richie.  He was told by the alphebet teacher, ‘It won’t hurt you to review everythig again.  Everyone forgets, school is learning the same things over and over.  If you don’t like school here your parents can take you out.’  So he got their answer and I didn’t want to agrivate people I don’t really know.”

“Do you think Jerry that people know that you are more important than any of them?”

It was an important question, and I knew that we were privilidged.  We had jet airplanes and special cars.  I was not really aware that my father owned nucular plants until he told me that the children in my class were children of  workers in his plants.

My father and especially mymother celebrated my differences.  At one party in Moscow after my parnts were introduced, then my father presented me.  Everyone stood up and clapped as I took a bow.

Beving very different was lots better in MOscow or Paris or London, but not where I lived in Oak Ridge Tennessee.

My father believed in facing problems head on.  I told him aobut my problem on the night that school ended for a week of 1st grade and that night dad interviewed me in our home studio about school.

During the interview I told him exactly what I said before, but he pressed me to remember more about wht I heard each techer say and what every named student said.

On Monday morning mother and father rode with me to school and we were greeted by the principal who gave me a hug, she shook hands with my parents and led us to a big theatre type room.

The lights were dimned when we sat down near the front on the left side, but I saqw all the 1st grade teachers from my class, and their aids.  They were sitting in the middle section.  Then on the right side were all the ohter 1st grade members of my class that i had named as saying rude things to me.

A white headed man in a suit came ot a mike in front and said, “Hello to all of you today: parents, 1st graders, and teachers.  I am Kevin Grady.  I’m the school cooridnator for the Eastern District of Tennessee for the Federal U.S. Government.

This year we have been deeply honored that J.R. Jarvis and his wife Susan Jarvis have chosen Oak Ridge Tennessee and have enrolled their son Jerry Jarvis in this 1st grade program.

Some of you in this room may not really know or understand how poererful J.R. Jarvis really is.

His official title is Energy Czar for the United Nations.  He  is appointed for life.  Se everyone can understand the extent of his power I offer the example of the Country of Eddie.  Eddie is a very small country that is located on the coast of Argintina.  It is basically about 20 miles of bank buildings.  The power of that one small country is immense.  It’s power is financial — they in the form of a dozen different big company leaders tried to cause nucular power to be more expensive.

‘Mr. J.R., as he is called shut off the poewe to that whole country and forced the turn over of a dozen criminals to agents of Mr. J.R.  They were executed on T.V., by haveing their heads removed with an ax.  After new controls were put in place, so that J.R. controled Eddie, then the lights were turned on again for the country.

J.R. is more powerful than a mere president of any country.

Now his only son had been treated roton at our school.

I will now show the J.R. interview of his son Jerry about his treatment by staff and students at Oak Ridge Elementary.

As your name is mentioned by Jerry in the video I want the alledged offenders to line up in the middle asile of the theatre.

This whole proceding is being filmed for the instruction of future offenders.   You hwo live up will each get 2 minutes at the mike to plead guilty or not-guilty, and if you plead guilty you can name a punishment you think appropriate.

The punishemts to choose from are: SLAVERY, OR BEHEADING. Those who choose to say they are not guilty will probably be beheaded.”

The five teachers pled ‘not guilty’ and their heads were cut off right on the stage below the screen.  All the students became slaves of mine, and went to school with me as book carriers and foot stools. 

No one laughed at me after that.  I fit right in with that school.

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Contact Ray Cates at: rcates2@cox.net

Or fax him at: 1-352-629-1573

He served in the U.S. Navy and Air Force.  In 1961 he was part of the Bay of Pigs Invasion in Cuba.

He graduated from the University of Florida and from Blackstone School of Law.  He also got a graduate degree from the Univ. of Florida and was in graduate programs at Liberty Univ. and Stetson Univ.

He taught Children’s Literature as a graduate student at the Univ. of Fla.  He also taught Business and Freshman English at Webster College.  He taught Family Law and Para-legal law, Freshman English and business English at City College.

In 1983 he founded Oceans High School to help people get a diploma who had somehow not graduated the regular way.  The site is: http://oceanshighschool.com

Two of his books are: Pure American Corn Humor (970) , The Confessions of a Real Estate Scavenger, (1977 and 1983).

He now lives in Ocala Florida with his wife and disabled son.