HAS SUMMER BEEN FAR TOO LONG?

OR, WHAT IS WRONG WITH SOMEONE LIKE ME?

Shirley Temple was before my time. Not by all that much, but half a generation anyway. I never watched many of her movies. Mainly because I can't stand her.

Now what's wrong with someone who doesn't like the little Shirley? I even picked out my favorite picture of her where she almost looks as normal as the next kid.

I never abused any kid. Well, that's not true. I taught school so I guess that shoots that argument. And as an adult, I wouldn't have thought about harming her. But if she were one of my classmates in grade school, I'd have done something to her that would have gotten me sent to the Principal's office. Oh, nothing major, but something just to annoy her: you know, a well placed bug in her cafeteria food, something like that.

So what was there about her I didn't like? Smugness. I like a lot of precocious kids. But she was precocious with an attitude. And her curls. I love curls, but hers were too tight or something. They bounced too much. She played with them, fluffing them up or something. I don't know.

And when she sang, she sounded fine, but her sappy expression said "Aren't I the cutest thing ever?" Well, I've written enough about Shirley as a child. Besides, it's time to make an appointment with a counselor.