The following “letter” is part of the continuing series from the unpublished novel by James Garrett, “Benicia Letters Once More”. He does not plan to publish the book but instead is choosing to share the letters with the readers of the Benicia Herald. The letters continue the storyline of Garrett’s first novel “Benicia and Letters of Love”. Each “letter” tells of love in one of its many forms from a separate point of view. Benicia is represented prominently in the letters because of Garrett’s deep fondness for the city of Benicia. He hopes readers see themselves or others they know in the letters because the concept of “Love” is universal.

Hi Jim,
I received an email about your book of “Benicia Letters Once More” and thought I would share some memories of that small town where I grew up and still love. I know it can’t be the same as when I was there, but a lot of us had some good times there with some good people. There was a lot of love shared and still shared though some are far removed from Benicia and some have died.
The first day attending Benicia High School was a right-of-passage in itself. We went from being the big eighth graders to lowly freshmen. Our time came though.
The first day of football practice was the first time I ever put on a football uniform.
A senior taught me how to use the padlock, left, right, left.
Having a different teacher for each class was strange at first. In those days in the grade schools you had the same teacher for everything and stayed in the same room. Mrs. Corum was my eighth grade teacher. I wrote her and she wrote back. I never knew she was ill. She died the next year.
The rallies in the gym were really good. That was the best gym around at the time. That place was especially noisy at rallies before we played St. Vincent’s.
Football was King of Friday Nights in those days. Our teams were good for a long time. I watched some of those teams as I grew and played on them, when it was my time to attend Benicia High School.
A girl I met as a freshman still has a place in my memories. We never dated though. We only danced once and that was during an after the football game dance.
Pranks were pranks in those days. Anyone caught was a meek sheep because no harm had been intended though at times there was a little property damage. I’m sorry about that, but I was never one who got caught.
For different reasons the teachers I remember most were Mrs. Chorley, Mr. Simons, Mr. Graham, the three teacher/coaches, Mr. Drolette, Mr. Corrigan, and Mr. Goettel. They were all good people who tried and cared though I admit I didn’t understand some of it at the time.
Block B Slave Day was a fun thing, not racist or sexist as some have felt as the years passed. Block B members were bid on at an auction and they were the “slaves” the next day of the young lady who “purchased” them. The next night the Block B held their yearly dance. The young lady had to pay a penny a pound for her “slave date” to get him into the dance. It was all in fun and good humor.
It wasn’t all fun during those high school years. There were some deaths of fellow students and parents of fellow students along the way.
Each in its own way is memorable: the A and W Root Beer stand, the Park and Shop Market when it was on First Street, the Royal Bakery, the Black and White Liquor Store, Rube’s Pool Hall, mud squishing between our toes at the end of First Street, lying in the grass on hills where homes now stand, submarine races, baseball at the City Park, etc. I hope others remember.
Ronald

James Garrett is a lifelong resident of Benicia and a former teacher at Benicia High School. He is the author of the following novels: “Benicia and Letters of Love,” “The Mansion Stories,” “Chief Salt,” and “One Great Season, 9-0!” He also compiled a three-volume work titled “The Golden Era: Benicia High School Football, The 1948 through 1960 Seasons, “A” History with Comments.”
He can be contacted at jgstoriesnpoetry@aol.com.

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