Second Attempt at 3rd Grade – Memoir Continued

We moved into South Lorian, which was only a few miles from where we had lived on East River Road. Dad rented the right-hand half of a side-by-side duplex on 31st., three blocks from the main entrance to U.S. Steel’s National Tube Division (It was USS/Kobe the last time I checked) on E. 28 st. and Pearl Ave. We lived there for my second run through third grade at Lowell Elementary, located across the street and a few doors east of us. We lived there for about a year. I think Becky (sister) was born during this time, too.

Also, during this time, I started taking the free violin lessons offered at the school. Mom had an old violin that she’d played in her youth, so that’s what I used until I got my own. By then, Guy was also taking lessons. And as usual, Dad had us in competition with each other. Again, the conflicts over practice time that I mentioned in my dancing demise resurfaced. They had also been an issue in second grade when Dad decided that he, guy, and I would take accordion lessons. Dad was always sorry that he’d never had the chance to learn a musical instrument, so he certainly gave his children that opportunity…but with conditions… because he wanted his investment to pay off with his children being ‘professional’ musicians as careers. He didn’t want to ‘waste’ his money on amatures. So he demanded discipline, which none of us were particularly fond of. I have a few memories about those times … perhaps later in my tale…

Next, we moved across the street to an up and down duplex (upper half). The lower half was occupied by our landlords, Mr. and Mrs. Rodriguez, who had two daughters, Auria and Sonja. Auria was in my class at school, and Sonja was a year or two older. I was entranced by them both, but of course, they ignored me completely. Ah well, another tale for another time… We stayed there until shortly after I entered seventh grade at Whittier Jr High. At that time, we moved to where my parents would live out the rest of their years. It was one house from the corner of Clinton Ave on E. 29th St…only one short block away from the Steel Mill. Bryan (brother) was born toward the end of our stay in the upper duplex. He was a toddler when we moved to 29th St.

To be Continued

–LE.