Photo: Google Images; Duck and Cover drills in the 50s
I grew up in the 50s and 60s and during the Cold War between Russia and the United States school children were taught the “duck and cover” method to save our lives in case of nuclear bombing during school hours. Huh? I vividly remember these drills that would come randomly during the school year in addition to our fire drills.
When the alarm sounded we were instructed to quickly and quietly (always quietly) to get in a huddle down on our knees underneath our desks with our heads protectively covered by our arms. I’m sure I wasn’t aware specifically of the reason for these drills at my young age but the energy surrounding the drill left me fearful and shaken. Sometimes the exercise had us lined up and following our teachers out to the parking lot where waiting volunteer parents lent their cars as getaway vehicles to whisk us away off campus.
Not only would these drills be useless in protecting anyone during a nuclear blast but they added fear to an already too fearful child. We also had the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 60s…I lived in very close proximity to Cuba, and the Vietnam War was on television during the evening news. It’s no wonder that I was well acquainted with anxiety as a child.
fire whips hysteria
crackling, consuming calm
frightened doe huddles
Join us today at 3PM EST as Toni presents Haibun Monday at dVerse Poets Pub.
