The State Capitals Test
By Scott Vaughan
In the 1960s, the State of Georgia decided that fifth graders should learn the names of our 50 states and each state’s capital. In addition, everything had to be spelled correctly. I thought it was cruel to slide in a spelling test as part of this nightmarish exercise.
I was not a great student, having already proved that with a record-setting 36 on a major science test. I enjoyed the information presented in class, but I didn’t enjoy studying. I was too easily distracted by a library book.
I had said nothing to my parents about the capitals test, believing I had practiced enough in class to do well on it. Fate had other ideas. Unbeknownst to me, my mom ran into a friend on the day before the test. During conversation, her friend mentioned the test and her own son’s nightly preparation for it. This ignited panic in my mom.
“Are you ready for the capitals test?” she asked
“Yes,” I said, believing that I was ready.
Later that evening, she called me into her bedroom for a quick oral review on our nation’s 50 capitals.
“Georgia,” she said.
“Atlanta,” I said.
And that’s as far as I got. Hysterics ensued. She stormed out of her own bedroom, leaving me there with a handful of flash cards. I considered jumping out the window.
Soon, my dad appeared at the door and shut it. My dad was not a patient man. A few years before, I had watched him come close to a nervous breakdown, teaching me to catch a pop fly.
He sat down on the bed across from me, and for the next three hours, he calmly and gently taught me the state capitals. It was a very late night.
After school the next day, I rushed out to the farm to tell my dad of our perfect score, because I believed it was his victory, too. He smiled and said, “Please don’t wait until the last minute again.” Later, we shared an ice cream sandwich together in celebration. My late dad was a hardworking blue-collar man who loved us and made sure we knew it through his words, his time, and a hard word or a gentle hand, whichever we needed. As I became a dad, he never missed a chance to share how proud he was of me.
Happy Father’s Day to all the men who are blessed to be called Dad.
