He Always Said, “You’re Acting Childish! Like Little Churrdrin!”

Dammit if I didn’t have the funniest character for a gym class teacher in elementary school.

Mr. Hoover.  Man, I swear.

The guy looked a little like R. Lee Ermy.  That’s the BEST I could place it, in all honesty.

Not as round, though.  Mr. Hoover was in solid looking shape for a 52 year old elementary gym class teacher.  But he sported those idillic drill sergeant shades and a genuine “no nonsense” approach to gym class discipline and order….in elementary school.

There are many times where Mr. Hoover displayed genuine praise for us, I’m certain, but the moments which have always stood out in my memory of Mr. Hoover – are of the times myself and my classmates behaved badly.

I don’t even remember what the specific infractions ever were.  I’m sure they were justified.  Kids can be testy, of course.

Mr. Hoover would always direct us back to our “lines” or “groups” or whatever structure it was he had arranged for my class of attention deficit disorder ridden little hooligans.

We would get ourselves seated back into our ranks across the gym basketball court and Mr. Hoover would assume center stage to our front, ready to address his 8 year old troops.

He would pace to the left and back to the right as he lectured about how “not to act like such spoiled little churrdrin”

And to hear him say it is only way to do it justice, but just the way he delivered it – no kidding – it actually sunk in a little…amongst a group of, yes, children.  Sometimes when I think back on it, I can get to laughing so hard…

And what makes it even more hilarious is when you really consider how this old timer looked as he was pacing around in front of us.  I mentioned that he looked a little like a drill sergeant, but this was the early 90’s.  Back when older fellas were still wearing “short shorts”.

SHORT…shorts.

Mr. Hoover’s shorts didn’t make it past mid thigh level – tight as could be too – and, I’ll never forget it, he kept a monstrosity of a wallet jammed into the back pocket of these strange tight man shorts.

The dude looked like he had something growing off his hind parts.  A doctor might walk by in the store and do a double-take at this situation, not kidding.  I’ll never forget it (laughing now).

Anyway – when I see what’s happening with the political divisions and the protests in the streets and how I see people acting toward each other…..I’m reminded of Mr. Hoover and elementary school gym class and what he would say to us about “acting like such churrdrin!”

“Childish!”, he would say lol.  Ahh nostalgia.