Yes social studies Teacher
Mercy, Kindness and Truth
VOL. 907 NO. 64
St. Louis, Missouri 2025 15 PAGES
PRICE 2 CENTS
Young people,
Where were you in 1975? I know that you weren’t born yet! Although could you imagine being 11 years old walking to the neighborhood store to get cigarettes for your mother? Well I often did walk to Cauley’s Market to get a pack of Virginia Slims Menthols that cost around $1.55 for my mother in 1975. Do you think she was a ‘bad mom?’
Well I’ll tell you what’s ‘bad!’ SMOKING CIGARETTES!
Mrs. Nancy Brown
Before my wedding 2004
Young people,
My mother Nancy Brown stopped smoking in 1979 after smoking cigarettes for probably 15 years. Although she quit smoking cigarettes in 1979 she was diagnosed with small cell lung cancer in 2006.
Cancer is a killer! I watched my mother struggle to get to her stadium seat in November of 2008 due to cancer. Paradoxically the football game was similar to her daily struggles fighting cancer.
She loved to watch me play football. And on this November afternoon in 2008 she would watch her grandson E.J. play in his final high school game and watch her son coordinate the offense in what would become my final high school game as a coach.
Like cancer we unexpectedly scored first. When E.J. threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Terrell Downing. Giving Hazelwood East High School and early 7-0 lead. Similar to my mother’s fight with cancer the game went back and forth. And towards the end of the game like cancer our opponent Raytown South took the lead with a go ahead touchdown making the score 34 to 33. With only 29 seconds remaining on the game clock the Missouri 5A state championship was on the line. Should we give up knowing that with only 29 seconds and 71 yards to go it was over?
Cancer will make you want to give up! Watching my mother make it up those stadium stairs to get to her seat stuck in my mind the hold game. With 29 seconds remaining there was no giving up! We were going to defeat cancer! With no time remaining on the game clock E.J. scrambled to his right avoiding a defender like a cancerous tumor and launched a pass deep into the end zone that was caught by Terrell
Downing! East wins East wins East wins 39-34.
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Unfortunately my mother loss her fight against cancer less than two months later in January 2009. But she did get to see a great football game that she loved to do with two of her favorite sons.
So I’m telling you. Don’t smoke cigarettes or vape! And if you don’t care so much about your own life then think about the people who will miss you.
Sincerely written,
Coach E. Brown
