Halla'en

Today is a day that we call Halloween. My mind goes back 52 years to the time when I was a 6th grade student at Louisa May Alcott Elementary School. My teacher was a wonderful lady named Mrs. Margaret Hall. She had been born in Fort Worth. She was stocky and had black hair. She was "40 something" all of those years ago. One of her claims to fame was that the movie actress Martha Hyer had been one of her students. She was a great teacher who makes a good lasting impression on all who pass through her class. She was a tough Texas woman but also a lady who never raised her voice or used bad language, She instilled in all of us the importance of the work ethic and high standards of performance in life. Like all teachers she graded each of us on conduct and academic performance. She also would mark students on the basis of diligence and good use of time. If you liked to "goof off" or waste time, she would mark you as "idle."
She was also insistent that the correct way to pronounce this day was Halla'en. (I suspect this is the Gaelic word where we got the name from.)  She was a purist on language. This wonderful lady made a big impact on my life.