By the second reporting period, Mrs. MacLean was reporting that, “Tracy has shown improvement in his social living. He is ready to admit it when he is wrong and that means a great deal.  Listening for directions would make it easier for all concerned.”

But, I protested gently over half a century later, the difficulty I faced in my readiness to admit that I was wrong was simply due to the fact that (in my own mind, at least) I was wrong so infrequently.  And, as for listening to directions, perhaps the creativity and individuality components of my personality development, the very purpose of my education, according to the report, might have been thwarted by following directions from “authority figures” (I rationalized).  Significantly, I noted, my Language Arts progress had slowed to the pace of a (+).

With Christmas interrupting my “desirable growth and achievement” at school, the report for the third six-week period noted that despite “slipping back” from time to time, “Tracy is consciously trying to improve his attitude, reactions, etc.” Mrs. MacLean then shifted from “recommendations” to a direct message for the reportee: “Keep at it, Tracy.” She closed with what I consider to be faint praise, “as a rule, he is a good worker.”  And yes, that is a good rule to have for all of us.

After Christmas 1950 and at the beginning of a new year, my good work had brought me Very Goods in both Social Studies and Arithmetic. Wow, this guy was on a roll – Very Good in Arithmetic? Hallelujah!

But, my euphoria was  short-lived.