Just A Little Pinch

When I read the notice below about the Chest X-Ray Bus from the October 8, 1970 issue of The Raymond News, I immediately thought of the occasional TB testing we had to endure in grade school. Back then, two strangers from the Health Department would show up at our classroom with what looked like a giant staple gun. Our teacher would tell us to line up and we would all stand there waiting and watching as each student stepped forward for his or her turn to get the "shot." Even though it barely stung, it was scary, especially in that moment when the heavy gun was pressed up against your little seven-year-old arm. 

And if that wasn't enough, probably due to suggestions from your older siblings, you had to worry about the spot on your arm. Was it raised? Did it look funny? Even slight redness could be a sign that you were going to be separated from your parents and taken away to a sanitarium where you would certainly die an agonizing death. After a few anxious days, the strangers would return to school to check everyone's arms, and we would all be cleared until next time.  

Published October 8, 1970 in The Raymond News