Mama said I didn't have to take a shot

I was just thinking about when I went to school at Curtis Jr. High School out from Elba, AL. 

I never liked shots, and I hated it when those county nurses would come to give all the children shots. It nearly scared me to death, and the smell, well, it smelled like medicine.

I stood in the line with all the other children and watched my classmates let the nurse pull their sleeve up, rub alcohol on their arm, and stick them. Some of them squinched up their eyes and turned their head before the needle stick. As I neared the nurse I got an idea. When I stepped into the dreaded spot, I looked at the nurse and said, "My mama said I didn't have to take a shot." She ushered me on through. I never did have a smallpox shot.

By the way, I don't think Mama even knew the nurses were coming to give us shots because I didn't tell her!