OK Solberg: 00:00

Wanna get and welcome here to The 405 Coffee Break. Get you a cup of coffee, glass iced tea, beautiful day, bottled water. Let's see what's happening.

OK Solberg: 00:07

Spring wheat $5.55 a bushel. 550lb steer calf, actually $4.99. What? $4.99 a pound. I kid you not, Payes Billings. Butcher hog in Iowa 59¢ a pound and a 100lb fat lamb in Billings inching its way up at $2.68 a pound. But guys, there's more, much more.

OK Solberg: 00:36

Okay. Here it is Tuesday, January 27. It's almost February. Super Bowl's coming up. Who you rooting for? Who you going for in the big Super Bowl? Seattle or New England? I have to admit I'm a Seahawk fan. Well, now guys, today another story from my childhood. I've told this story before but not with this much detail. So maybe you heard it before but I bet you haven't heard it with all these details.

OK Solberg: 01:09

That right after our bible verse. Jesus said, a new commandment I give you love one another as I have loved you so you also must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another. John 13 verse 34.

OK Solberg: 01:32

Well you know, in 1964 I wanted to love my neighbor, but I didn't know my neighbor's name. Here, let me explain. If you remember, I went to country school in first grade. My mom was a teacher and my 2 older sisters were my only other classmates.

OK Solberg: 01:51

But in 1964, my father Ingwald got the bus route contract and he hauled us all the way into a big city called Malta. Guys, I can still feel my gut turn as we rounded the corner on Central Avenue and I looked at that playground swarming with kids, hundreds of them, and I didn't know any of them. Now I know you've had your own experiences that make mine look pale in comparison, but for me, well, it was hard. So I told my dad that I didn't know anyone there and I don't have any friends and, you know, my dad was sympathetic to my plight and he had an idea. He said, what if you take a candy bar and at recess just offer a piece of candy to a student and see if that helps?

OK Solberg: 02:48

My dad did have a good idea so he gave me a bit of honey candy bar and I tucked it in my coat pocket. And at the first recess on that big playground with hundreds of kids, I sat on the swing and the boy next to me and he was on my left. I remember not right, left. I reached in my pocket and offered him a piece of candy. If I live to be 100, I will not forget his words.

OK Solberg: 03:20

They came quick and they were short. I don't like that kind. I didn't see that one coming. My dad hadn't given me a backup plan. Well, school continued terrible as it was.

OK Solberg: 03:36

And then I told my dad that the kids rush up to the teacher's desk and get the kicker ball or basketball before I can get there and so I'm still all alone. My dad had another good idea. He said, well, maybe you can take your own ball. Wow. That was a good idea.

OK Solberg: 03:56

My dad did have a good idea. Guys, I never even made it inside the school. I'm walking on the sidewalk on the south side of the elementary school and a loud voice chimes in, you can't bring your own toys to school. Son of a biscuit. What am I gonna do now with this ball?

OK Solberg: 04:21

With the sands of time trickling rapidly through the hourglass, I better get to the punchline quick. The truth of the matter was given time, I made two of my best friends ever right there in 1964. There was Todd Smith. You know, I just talked to him moments ago while I was typing this exact episode. And there was Bruce Kessler. Friendship always feels good. But friendship feels even better when you didn't have any beforehand.

OK Solberg: 04:57

With Bruce and Todd on my mind one autumn day after school while waiting for the bus, I see some chalk writing on the playground. You know, that sounds like a great method of expressing my exuberance. Now I found a boy on the playground who was waiting for his bus as well who had a handful of stub pieces of chalk that the teacher let him have.

OK Solberg: 05:24

I asked if I could have one. He said yes, gave it to me, and I dash over to do my first public writing of my life. I can still show you where it was on the playground that still exists right here in Malta, Montana. I wrote in large and neat letters, I like school. I like missus Anderson. I like Bruce and Todd.

OK Solberg: 05:50

Then my mom had taught me sign your letters with love so I signed it love Orvin. I felt good about it the rest of that day, I still felt good about it that morning riding the bus to school. I did not feel good about it when we came in after the 1st recess and I was working on an arithmetic problem, It was an equation on the left side of the page and it had an 11 in the equation because it's burned into my mind as these words came from Mrs. Anderson in front of the whole class.

OK Solberg: 06:30

We saw what you did on the playground Orvin. Oh, that was nice but we can't allow writing on the playground. You'll have to fill up a bucket of water and take that sponge there and go wash it off. School was tough but I made it through. But it sure makes an interesting story now.

OK Solberg: 06:53

So until next time. As you go out there, don't write on the playground. And remember now, don't be bitter.