The Salt of the Earth

(first posted on myspace mid 05)


I was in the 7th grade
I had recently transferred to Dimmitt Middle School
From Southshore
Dimmitt was mostly white kids
I had spent most of that school year at Southshore where most of the kids were black
I was used to changing schools though
And used to fitting in
I changed schools at least once a year and sometimes more
It was nearly summer
I only had 6 weeks til summer vacation
The white girls at Dimmitt were very different from the white girls at Southshore
They didn't wear make-up
They didn't sneak out at night
They were "good-girls"
Or they were until I got there
Or so I was told
I took the blame for them becoming "regular teenagers"
The first of the three suspensions I received during the 6 weeks I spent at Dimmitt came only ten days after I started.
I was in the bathroom with about 6 other girls
Teaching them how to heat the black eyeliner in the red pencil with a match so that it would go on way too dark
Because at the time, that was the way to do it
A teacher came in and chased us out because the bell had already rung
About 10 minutes later someone came and pulled me from class
Apparently there was fire somewhere in a garbage can
I started no fire
But I had matches
The principal wanted to paddle me
But I told him to get fucked
There was no way in hell I was gonna bend over so some big perverted asshole could check out my ass and paddle me with a wooden board with holes in it
I was suspended, accused, charged and convicted of arson
I received community service
I was to work at the fire station in Skyway
As you may know, firemen have much free time since there aren't all that many fires in any given day
There was nothing for me to do there but play video games help wash the already clean trucks and fall in love with about three of the firefighters
It was almost summer
They would take off their shirts to wash the trucks
We would have water fights
I remember spending hours getting ready to go do my community service
The guys were so nice to me
They bought me fried chicken and Popsicles
The always acted happy when I arrived
Always smiled at me
And when my time was up they all gave me big hugs (even tho I wanted kisses)
Today while trying my best to muster up a good childhood memory
The three weeks I spent at that fire station is all that came to mind
My Gran used to say "Firemen are the salt of the earth"
I didn't know what it meant but I knew it was something very good
Then again she also said that very same thing about cops
Ummmmm
That's all