One of Betty Lou's favorite stories was about how one of her junior high classmates handled an embarassing situation. We all remember those terrible memorizations we had to do in school, right? I can still start "Abou Ben Adim" but can't finish it. In this particular incident, Betty Lou's class was required to memorize a Kipling poem called, "Recessional". It's recurring phrase at the end of each stanza is "Lord God of Hosts be with us yet, Lest we forget, Lest we forget."

As each member of the class got up and did their best, one young fella just got more and more nervous. He was one of those who, like me, try as they might, they just are not much good at memorizing poems. It came to his turn and he walked to the front of the class with that "dead man walking" gait and manner. Facing the class, he squirmed and fidgeted for several moments then looking up he spoke, "Lord God of Hosts was with me not, for I forgot, for I forgot".

It may have been unintentional, but I am willing to bet that more of the class remembered his version than Kiplings. HEHEHEEE.