once upon a time, a long, long ago

I nearly died

     At least that is what my mom and dad told me.  I truthfully don't remember much about it, maybe my much older brother Carl will.
     I was in fourth or fifth grade at Ravenswood Elementary in Chicago.  (Current link to the news:  Mayor Rahm lives near the school.)
     I think my teacher was a Mrs. Bird.  I think.  I remember her as tall, skinny, white hair and a love for Arizona.  Over Christmas Break she went there, bringing back cactus candy and chocolate covered ants for the more adventurous students to try.  But John will undoubtedly remember the right names.
     Sometime that spring, I got sick.
     High fever, what seemed like daily doctor visits in the third floor apartment we had.  Cold rags placed over my forehead.  I was kept in a room with the shades drawn, I remember being told that the bright light could cause blindness or vision loss if I had looked at it.
     No reading.  We did not have a television that I remember.  If we did, I did not watch it.
     I just remember aching, high temperature, sleeping a lot, and those miserable little red spots all over my body.
     Some days I had to go down the three flights and go to our neighbors.  Mrs. Maudlin and her Scott Terrier Blackie would then baby sit me.  At night I would make the trip back up the stairs.
     I missed a lot of school.  There was some consideration of holding me back because I missed so much and could not do the work at home because they didn't want me to read.
     Realize that was 58 years ago, so some of my facts may be a little off.  But I seem to remember missing five or six weeks of school and getting extra help when I did come back.
     I don't wish anyone to have measles.
     It can be deadly, can cause life long damage, and can be prevented by a vaccine.
     I don't thing that was available back in 1958....if it was, I am sure my folks would have spared me the pain and agony and gotten me the shot.
     That's all I have to say about it.