Hattie (Boys)

Nothing like a back-to-the-basics story to pick me up. And hmm, what’s more basic than say, boys and girls? Here is Hattie to tell how she grew up as one of the boys. I have to tell you I am biased on this story – to me there is nothing more wonderfully feminine than a woman who can kick it with the boys, ok, ok, I’ll admit it, I like to think I am a tomboy but in truth I am more like a tomboy-wannabe. So you can imagine, when Hattie read her story out loud, I kept wanting to jump up and say, “Me too! Me too!” - oh yes, that would include playing wing-“man” for her buddies – to this day, I do that too.

(BTW, next up, Mo’s story…“Girls"!)

Hattie Lee Ellerbe

November 19, 2009

My father always wanted “a boy”.

By the time his third daughter was born (which was me), he treated me like “his boy”.  He would bring home pets.  I remember he brought home a puppy.  When my two older sisters ran from it, I just stood there.  I was too afraid to move.  He put the puppy in my arms and beamed, “See Hattie’s not scared”.  I stood there frozen until the little puppy fell to the floor.

As we became older and there were now five girls, daddy left our care up to his mother.  Our mother had passed away at age 28.  We were from newborn to age 9 at the time.

If an errand had to be run or anything had to be cuddled or “petted”, you can be sure, daddy would say, “Hattie can do it”.  On the other hand, when something went wrong, my grandmother would say, “Hattie did it”.

Growing up I was always with the boys, playing their games and helping them get phone numbers of girls.  They treated me like one of the boys.  My best friends were mostly boys.

I will write more about being a middle child next time.  It has its “perks” and disadvantages.