We started Our Learning Institute classes and one class that I am taking is on French artists in the 18th and 19th centuries. This week we looked at Jean Baptiste Greuze who was painting at the time that France was becoming emotional and interested in everyday life. His paintings usually depicted several subjects in a way that told the viewer immediately the story of the painting. For example Broken Eggs has this little demon boy holding an egg shell, while the family is scolding the maid for the mishap of eggs on the floor. Anther one, Return of the Prodigal Son, the family surrounds the father's death bed, the mother is pointing accusingly at the son, the people surrounding the bed are wringing their hands, holding their heads and hearts, all melodramatically. The instructor even said that silent films copied these familiar stagings. Then he said something that clicked with me. He likened these paintings to Norman Rockwell, who likewise, used ordinary looking people, in a scene that was instantly recognized by the viewer. Christmas Homecoming has the mother hugging the son, while every one, old and young are smiling around them. Norman Rockwell brings me right back to when I was 12 in the 6th grade with Mrs. Fritz as my teacher.

Mrs. Fritz was a tiny woman, with curly gray hair, that ran a tight ship, mostly keeping us in line with her "credit system". Everytime you did something right, or got a 100, you got a line, 5 lines made a star, or a credit. Likewise, when you did something wrong, or failed, you lost a line, or if really terrible a whole credit. One of her weekly assignments would be a Norman Rockwell Saturday Evening Post Magazine cover. She would set it up on the chalkboard and have us write our own story to go with the picture. I loved this assignment, it was right up my alley and my pencil would fly. Norman Rockwell's picture practically wrote the story themselves.

There was only one problem with Mrs. Fritz's class. My seat was next to Paul Cooper's, a red headed freckled handsome boy that could have modeled for Rockwell. He had a good sense of humor and could make me laugh easier than anyone had ever done. Soon after entering Mrs. Fritz's class Paul and I noticed something strange about her and the Pledge of Allegiance. Instead of putting her hand over her heart, she cupped her left breast, most gently, almost as if she were checking to see if it was still there. I didn't think too much of it, until one day when Paul made a noise and when I looked in his direction he was mimicking her method, had his hand cupped over an imaginary breast. I giggled and looked away, but the damage was done. He knew he had me and every day after that he would do the Pledge the same way as Mrs. Fritz. Now, she never noticed, her eyes intent on the flag, her full attention on her patriotic duty as a citizen and teacher of the young. But, as my giggles got louder, she began to look in our direction. One day it was really bad, and I laughed out loud. Mrs. Fritz stopped the Pledge, stared at me, and said "Linda, I think you better go out into the hall until you can control yourself". Red faced, I did so. After that Paul stopped doing the gesture, I think he knew how embarrassed I was. I don't remember how many credits I lost, but I bet it set me back a bit.

Norman Rockwell could have done a painting of our class, with Paul making me laugh (the evil kid with the broken egg shell) and Mrs. Fritz staring angrily and disappointed at me (the innocent kitchen maid) while I am shaking with laughter. I would like to see that one.