Whenever Stan gets a new watch, these two memories return:
The only kid to ever wear a real wrist watch to our country school was Rodney Karrow. He was actually a town kid whose parents moved to their new little rambler in the country and found themselves in a rural school district.He started in the middle of a term and lasted only one day with us. He had a wrist watch and everyone was very impressed, asking him if it was "real." He patiently assured us that it was and seemed to check it from time to time, even though a big black and white school clock hung in front. He also had butch wax in his hair and wore starchy pressed blue jeans rolled in wide cuffs above his ankles like Opie Taylor. The girls thought he was very cute and quite unlike any of the farm boys.
That night we snooped in on the party line and learned that Rodney had fallen off his stool at home. This upset his mother so much she decided to return him to Washington Elementary until the fall. (Washington was cool. They had an inside gymnasium and that's where we went to get our polio shots.)
He rejoined us country kids in fifth grade, I think, and apparently never fell off a stool again. He became a good friend and ended up as a jeweler in Alexandria.
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My father would hold my hand and pause in front of Hedine Jewelry in Alexandria to look through the window at watches displayed there. He didn't own one. Sometimes he went inside to look closer and ask questions. One year my mother bought him a watch for his birthday. It cost her $50. He cried when he got it.
