Tag Archives: schools

10/28/21

This Trucker Learned a Lesson That Stuck

This Trucker Learned:

 “There Are Far Worse Things Than Going to School”

He was only 17. They’d thrown him out of school for his accidental burning of the woods right next to the school. Oh, he didn’t mean it. He’d just ducked out a side door of the school to sneak a smoke break with his buddy, Joe Grover. When he finished the butt, he flicked it off. It landed on dry kindling. That’s how the fire in the woods started.

The worst part? The school (Joe T. Robinson in Little Rock, Arkansas) was named in honor of a relative. Now, he’d dishonored the family.

At first, he thought “Being thrown out isn’t so bad. I’ll get a job and earn some money.”

And so, the next day he started working for a roofing company. The boss had him high up, on a hot roof, in 120 degree heat of a summer day. His job? Spreading the hot tar that made the roof shingles stick. He was breathing in the fumes and sweating so much he thought he’d pass out.

“Argh…Ugh…Phewie…” he said, all day long, pushing the long broom handle up on the roof, moving the black resin, to even it out.

The tar stuck to his fingers and clothes. Try as he might, he couldn’t remove it.

When some days were too hot to work, the crew went up on the roof at night, to work under spotlights.

It was dangerous, sticky work.

He realized only later that his roofing job was much harder than any school day.

***This trucker, Paul Wesley Gates, would go back to school, years later, and earn his GED and an Associates Degree in college. But he had to learn the hard way.

***To buy “Grandpa and the Truck” books for kids, go to colleenkellymellor.com (an Amazon  link is provided).

 **To get future posts on “Grandpa and the Truck,” please sign on  to this website.

05/29/15

Grandpa and the Truck Wows at Tiverton Schools!

We Teach Geography…and a Whole Lot Moregr and truck kids enact geography

 

We Had a Brilliant Time! The kids at Walter Ranger School, in Tiverton were terrific. With fun sound effects and pictures capturing their attention, we brought our young audience across America, in the big rig. They asked lots of questions, too, of the trucker, like “Were you ever scared driving the big rig?” And “How much money does a big rig cost?” (answer $250-300,000).

They giggled at all the right places and swayed to our opening tune of “Nitro Express,” when a big rig hurtles down a mountain road, with its 18 wheels smoking, sparks flying all along, heading right for a little town in the valley. At the end, they helped act out our geography lesson pulling together our presentation that involved “How many miles are there from Boston, Ma. to San Francisco?” “How far out in the Pacific is little Hawaii?” “How many miles wide is little Rhode Island?” (37 miles), where kids in the car never really have to ask “Are we there yet?” (37 miles.) We loved it and they were a spectacular audience.

In the words of Principal Manuel Cabral: “I was very happy with the presentation of Grandpa and the Truck at Ranger School. The students were super-attentive and involved… kept on track and involved for the entire time and for that to happen in a space of 30 minutes with kindergarten,1st and 2nd grade students is a real testament to the program…I was really impressed with the presentation.gr and truck--quests from little onesgr and truck--things truckers fear most--ranger

04/29/15

“Grandpa and the Truck” Going to 2 Big Audiences in Tiverton, RI

Our flyer announcing our first BIG show….

“Grandpa and the Truck” coming to Walter E. Ranger and Ft. Barton schools May 13, 2015.cab and trucker

Named to Atlas Van Lines’s “Elite Fleet” (of drivers,) “Gator” drove millions of miles, flawlessly, across America in the big rig.

Now, he tells his exciting adventures to student audiences, focusing on the men and women who drive these big metal beasts….their challenges…natures’ role (hurricanes, fog, ice) and the beauty and diversity of our great land.

“Grandpa and the Truck’s” trucker and 30-year retired teacher, Providence Journal Op-Ed writer, Colleen Kelly Mellor (trucker’s wife and author) bring their lively show to Tiverton little ones.

Signed and personalized books may be ordered right here, on this website

www.grandpaandthetruck.com

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