Growing up my father used to tell us stories about his childhood at a time when school buses weren't around. I'm not an expert but walking miles to attend school in modern times would almost certainly result in senior skip day becoming senior skip year and an attendance so low as to warrant the closure of the school.
In the old days children used to have to walk even in the snow for miles to attend class and it's something they did every day to learn reading, writing, and arithmetic that as the saying goes was often taught to the tune of a hickory stick.
Back in my high school days after hearing my dads stories I decided to try it out for myself and when our bus decided not to run due to the winter weather I set off from the top of Limestone in a blizzard on an old bicycle headed for town. My dad picked me up a few miles from the house and offered me a ride into town on his way to work. After arriving in Parsons I found a local business willing to allow me to leave my bike for the day and began walking towards the mountain and TCHS.
I was bundled up in a heavy winter coat, boots, and a full-face ski mask and made my way slowly up the mountain in the pouring snow. The trip was hard work yet I finally made it to school just after lunch, signed in at the office, and headed to class. Upon arriving to class I was threatened to be written up over being late and in the mood I was in after walking all those miles in the snow I not so politely told the teacher if he wanted me there earlier he could have picked me up when he passed me on his lunch period.
In doing my walking trip to school I earned a whole new respect for those children like my father who at the time had no choice but to brave the elements in search of an education.
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