High school was a great change from Lewis School where many of us had been together through every grade we attended there. In my new situation I didn't mow anybody in my classes and missed my old friends. On the first day in Mrs. McKee's English class we were told to prepare about a 3 to 5 minute talk on any subject we wanted, just so we could get to now each other. Such an assignment would count, also, as one of the oral English assignments we would have during the year. We were told to be ready for Monday of the following week when she would call on 4 or 5 each day until everyone had a chance to speak.

That Monday arrived and Mrs. McKee started at the top of her alphabetical roll. She called a few names with each one saying that they were not quite ready yet. I think most of them were just like me and too much afraid to stand up and do their part.

As each one declined I became increasingly more nervous. Mrs. McKee was getting closer to the H's in her roll book. Suddenly my name was called. I was ready, but was really on the spot. I didn't want to be first among all those many strange faces. I got to my feet, however, and nervously stepping in front of the class. I gave my name and said that I was going to talk on "Overcoming Fear."

With that, the class started laughing. At first there were just a few nervous giggles and then with all out laughter. I was suffering so much with fright that I didn't recognize the humor in what I had just said. I had a great opportunity to really make something of it, but I was still too nervous to laugh with them.

Everyone in the class was experiencing the same problem of overcoming the fear of giving a talk, yet I didn't loosen up at all like the rest of the class did at my surprise introduction. But I had broken the ice and as I progressed in my talk I started to relax somewhat.

I chose that topic because of some of my experiences in the Boy Scout program. We had learned of what to do if we ever got lost or were in an accident of some kind. First item, "Don't panic!" Stay calm. Don't react in ways that would make the situation worse, etc.

I gave an example of my own. Bill Parker and I were fishing along a mountain stream one day. I was working my way downstream where I had distanced myself from him until he was out of sight. I had stopped for a minute looking for a likely place to throw in my fishing line. I then took a step to be suddenly terrified by that ominous noise of a rattlesnake rattling his warning sound.
I new that sound because I had had encounters with rattlers before, but had seen them in open spaces and was with others where as a group we could drive the snake off with sticks or otherwise get around it. This time, however, I was alone and very frightened. I saw nothing and just froze in my tracks right where I was.

"Stay calm! Don't panic!" That was hard to do, but without moving anything but my eyes I tried to locate the snake, but could not. The sound had come somewhat to my right and a little in front of me. Standing motionless was my defense as I had learned that we shouldn't make any moves that would cause the snake to strike out. But how long could I maintain that position. I decided to get out of there. I made one big jump in the opposite direction from where I had heard the sound, probably setting a record for a jump from a standing position. What a sigh of relief when I got out of that situation OK.

Having related my own experience with danger, I then gave some examples of how others had survived being lost and of situations where accidents happened where an injured person had to fend for himself until help arrived.

When I finished my talk everyone clapped with great enthusiasm while smiling profusely. From that time on the class really started coming together as we all eased into the transition of our new environment. I was glad to get my assignment over with and eventually everyone else took his/her turn. Mrs. McKee was pleased at the way I started things off and was very complimentary of my effort. During the six grading periods of the year I got four A's and two A-'s. Mrs. McKee was always very kind to me and I often wondered if I had really earned those good grades. I hoped that I had.