Returning to My Childhood Library

The librarians at the Harvard Public Library invited me to come and speak to anyone who might be interested. They told me that my talk would be held in the old section of the building, which was actually the original Bromfield School. The excitement in advance of this event surprised me — after all, it had been over 40 years since I’d been a kid at Bromfield Elementary School. I got many letters from folks I hadn’t heard from in ages. There was even a story in the Boston Globe about my return visit to Harvard.

Well, I knew I was in trouble when I got to the library — and there were so many people who’d arrived early that the stairs were overflowing with folks. By the time I made it through the crowded stairs and up to the auditorium, at least 10 people had called me “Tommy”… which was 10 more times than I’d been called that name in over 40 years!

Then I realized that the auditorium was, in fact, the old art room from my elementary school days. No doubt, somewhere on that floor, were the charred marks from when I accidentally set the pottery kiln on fire! I could almost feel the presence of our art teacher, Mrs. Ostertag, right there in that very room, shaking her head at me in despair.

What a wonderful time we had that evening — and the stories about life in Harvard were the best part. Plus it was great to see so many familiar faces. My childhood friend Mark Henry was there, along with his sister, as were many other people I hadn’t seen in ages but could never forget.

The most surprising reunion came after my talk. An elderly gentleman with bright eyes, now in his 90s, came up to me and asked, “Do you know who I am?” Sheepishly, I said, “No sir.” He lifted his cane and poked me in the ribs, then said, “I got you through the measles.” Suddenly I knew exactly who he was. “Doctor Harris!” I exclaimed, recognizing Benjamin Harris, my pediatrician from the earliest years of my life. He nodded, his eyes shining brighter than ever. “Right, lad. And since you got over the measles… you’ve done all right.”