SATURDAY STORY - JULY 31, 2021

 SATURDAY STORY - JULY 31, 2021

“Plain Jane”

Vickie Jackson was just plain looking.  Her facial features were not particularly striking, she was of average height, her hair was a ‘mousey brown’, her eyes were brown, but boring.  When they did an activity in school she never was the first person selected and never the last.  She was pretty much in the middle in terms of learning - not the star of the class and not the dunce - just ‘average’. She didn’t speak up much, she wasn’t flamboyant, and maybe she was just a little boring. 

And, early on, in kindergarten, she got the nickname “Plain Jane” - not because her name was Jane, but because she was plain.  

*****

Vickie knew the nickname and eventually accepted it, although she didn’t embrace it.  Just plain.  She grew up in a house built in the 1950s after World War II that was like most of the others in the neighborhood.  A two story house, with a basement.  Vickie’s bedroom was on the second floor and had a dormer that looked out on Maple Street.  Nothing too exciting.  There were three bedrooms upstairs  Vickie’s, her older sister, Rita, and her younger brother, Marty.  

Rita had a five star personality.  She was in the school plays, sang solos in the choir, and was the leading scorer on the girl’s basketball team.  Her brown eyes glistened, she always was talking and reprimanded in school for talking, which seemed to make her talk more.  At the school lunch table, all the girls wanted to sit at Rita’s table (and Vickie sat mostly alone). 

Marty was an ‘all American’ boy.  If Tide or Gain or some other laundry detergent wanted to show off their cleaning power, they would have liked Marty.  His clothes were always muddy.  The knees on his jeans were threadbare from crawling through the woods and weeds.  He wasn’t the best student (although he could be), but when the kids played football or basketball at lunch, he was the first to be chosen.

But, Vickie (or Plain Jane as most people called her), was a courteous student.  If a teacher needed to send the attendance or a note to the front office, she asked Vickie to do it, she would go to the office and not loiter in the hallways and would be back in class promptly.  She knew answers in class, but rarely raised her hand.  If a teacher called on her, Vickie would give the answer quietly, and generally correctly, without any flourishes. Just plain.

As they got into middle school and high school in suburban Rosemount Minnesota, not much changed for Vickie.  Solid, dependable, and boring.  She too played on the girls basketball team, but mostly sat on the bench - and Vickie didn’t seem to mind that she wasn’t in the game.  She did her homework on time and was never late, but got B grades - just plain.

Vickie went through puberty as all girls do - but didn’t seem to complain about cramps or other changes in her body.  Just a part of life.  When her mother took Vickie shopping for school clothes, Vickie picked things that fit her boring life - plain gray or green dresses.  

A boy in the high school choir was kind of her boyfriend.  He too was kind of plain and was under the radar.  Paul would sit close to Vickie at lunch.  At the boy’s basketball games, Paul might sit close to Vickie, but never really sat next to her.  A nice platonic relationship.  

*****

After high school, Vickie went to Winona State University with a goal of being a math teacher.  She did okay in math, and liked the analytical side of things.  Her teacher for Calculus I was Dr/ Marceline Gratia.  But somehow Dr. Gratia saw something in Vickie.  Marceline had been a bit of a plain Jane herself growing up, and being a math professor labeled her as a nerd.  

One day after class, Dr. Gratia asked Vickie to stop behind for a minute.

“Could you come to my office hours this afternoon?” she asked Vickie.

Vickie asked “When are your office hours?”

Marceline replied, “I’m generally in my office from 3:00 to 6:00.  Does that fit your schedule?”

And Vickie answered “That fits my schedule.  My last class is 2 to 3, so I’ll stop by after that class.

*****

For the next few hours, Vickie wondered what she had done wrong that a math teacher would be asking her to come to her office?  She hadn’t cheated (although Brian Davis did like to look at her assignments); she hadn’t talked back; she hadn’t skipped any classes.  There wasn’t anything that justified being asked to visit her professor.

Vickie found Dr. Gratia’s office - on the second floor of the Pasteur Building.  The door was open, so Vickie knocked on the wall next to the open door.

Marceline looked up with a smile and said “Hi Vickie, come on in’.  

This was the first time Vickie had been invited to a professor’s office hours.  She had been to her English professor’s office a couple of times with questions about assignments.

Marceline stood and ushered Vickie into a chair next to her desk.  

The first few minutes were just casual - chit chat about college, about Vickie’s hometown (Marceline knew where Rosemount was), about her family.

Then Marceline said “Vickie, you are a good math student, are you thinking about being a math major?”

Vickie blushed - no teacher had really commended her like this before. She answered “Yes, I like math and I think I do okay in it”.

Marcelene listened thoughtfully.  Vickie was almost taken aback as most people just looked past her - after all she was just ‘plain jane’. 

When Vickie finished, Marceline said “I am teaching a section of college algebra.” and then added “It really is almost the same as Algebra II in high school.  I need a student to help grade their papers.  It is a job that pays for ten hours a week.  I’d give you help if you need it, but I doubt that you will need it.  I’ll give you an answer key and directions. You seem to really know your stuff”.

Again, a blush from Vickie, who stammered “I’d love to do that.”

Marceline took over and described the position in more detail and how she would bring an official application to the next class.  Vickie could grade papers in a student office or take them back to her dorm room to grade.  The pay would be minimum wage - but with ten hours a week, it would be a little spending money for Vickie.

Again, Vickie said “I’d love to do that”.  

Thus started a relationship that was to last for several years.  Vickie became Marceline Gratia’s student aide and grader.  A few times, Vickie sat in the back of the college algebra class during tests to watch for cheating.  

One day towards the end of the semester, Marceline asked Vickie “I’d like to have a review session for the college algebra students.  Do you think you could cover that?”

Vickie sat for a few seconds.  The shy, plain jane girl inside her didn’t like being in public or in front of a group.  Then she said “I’m not sure I can do that.  I’m kind of shy and don’t like being in front of groups”.

Marceline looked Vickie in the eye and said “Vickie, I know you can do it -and it will be great practice for being a math teacher.” 

*****

After fall semester, where Vickie got an “A” in Calculus I, (and the highest grade in the class), Vickie continued with Algebra II with Dr. VandeWater.  And, she kept grading papers for Marceline Gratia’s College Algebra class.  It had leaked out that Vickie was the grader for that class and soon some students were asking her to help them on assignments.  So Vickie started to have regular office hours in the student office in Pasteur Hall.  Slowly the shy, “plain Jane”, Vickie was becoming more recognizable and confident.

*****

Just after Spring Break, as Vickie was sitting in Marceline’s office visiting, Marceline got serious with Vickie.

She said “Vickie, it seems to me that you are very similar to me when I started college.  I was shy, and tried to hide out of the limelight.  I was not very confident.  I was scared I was going to flunk out. I got into my first math class with Dr. Emmons and boom, I took off, I was confident, and my life changed.  I heard something early on about being a “plain Jane”, and I worked on overcoming that.  Yes, female math professors are not yet appreciated as much as male math professors, but we’re changing that.”

She paused.

She added “Vickie, I go to a beauty shop once a month.  I want to treat you to a beauty make-over and some clothing and style makeovers.  Will you allow me to do that?

Vickie didn’t know what to stay.  She went to the local beauty college to get her haircuts, but never really a style.  She faltered for a second and quietly said “That would be wonderful”.

A week later, Marceline took Vickie to Patsy’s Salon for a make-over.  Marceline and Miss Patsy (the proprietor), visited with Vickie for about half-an-hour before setting on a new look and style.  They even put highlights into her hair, showed her about makeup.  Marceline took Vickie to a dress boutique.  The prices seemed a little high to Vickie, but with Cristina, the shop owner, they selected three outfits, two dresses and a nice pants/top combination.  

*****

The next day, and for the rest of her life, Vickie changed from a “plain Jane” to a beauty.  She learned that beauty comes from within.  Sure the external trimming helps, but when you exude confidence the aura comes through.

Eventually, Vickie became a star (or at least a Math star).  Boys asked her out, and she joined a sorority.  She student taught math and got excellent reviews from her supervising teacher.   She went on to graduate school and became a math professor like Marceline Gratia and inspired many ‘plain jane’ students to reach for the stars.

*****

This last week, I wrote about self love.  In this (Pollyanna) story, Vickie develops confidence because of a mentor. We do have opportunities to help others in our life.  I had mentors who encouraged me, and I have been a mentor to many students.  “Love your neighbor as yourself” requires us to have confidence in ourselves.  

Love one another, treat people as you want to be treated, and LOVE WINS!!!  

Hugs!!!

Karen