Those Old Wives Tales!!!
Third Grade – Mrs. Shaddix was my teacher, (she was very humble, kind lady) but a great teacher! I am sitting in class and a buddy of mine looks at me and states, “you got a spot on your forehead!” Now I was too young for pimples, but I didn’t think anything about it. Until that same friend said, “hey now you got two more!” At that time I went to Mrs. Shaddix and let her see them. She didn’t panic, she took me to the office and they called my Mom to come and get me. Mom came, took one look at me and gasped, then I got the news! CHICKENPOX!!!! I have Chickenpox!
Looking back, I imagine, that Mrs. Shaddix who was so calm and helpful was screaming inside, thinking I have contaminated the whole class with this disease! I can just see her cleaning every desk and putting my desk and things in isolation!
But she never let it show!
Now to the Wives Tale….
My grandmama on my Mom’s side was quite a woman! Grew up in the rural sections of Alabama and knew every remedy for every disease. We lived next door to them and I spent many hours in that house!
When she found out that I had Chickenpox, she told mom everything to do, “put oatmeal on him, that will keep him from itching!” Yes, I was a human oatmeal cake! You got that visual? Okay that’s not the best…
Here you go!
Grandmother: “We don’t want him to scar, from these chickenpox.”
Mom: “So what do we do?”
Grandmama: “I will see you in the morning!”
So while I was covered in oatmeal and trying to sleep, at 5am my Grandmama and Mom wakes me up picks me up and takes me outside! at 5AM!!!
They then take me outside to the barn where we have chickens. A LOT of chickens.
As the sun began to rise they set me in the floor and they proceeded to run (shoo) every chicken in the barn OVER MY HEAD!
I was screaming, crying and who knows what else….It was an episode of Alfred Hitchcock’s, The Birds!!!
Why was this being done? TO ME!!!
Somewhere through the generations of my family this was the WIVES TALE to keep your child from chickenpox scars you ran chickens over their head before the sun came up!!
Right….
And now you ask the question? Do you have any scars?
The answer….No!
It worked!!! – I think.
I love my family!
Jerry Elder 