Mechanic Falls High School - Pilot Yearbook (Mechanic Falls, ME)

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M. F. H. S.. PILOT 3 must think the game, concentrate all the time they are playing. They must be awake and on their toes, they must hustle and bustle all the time. It is the hustle that wins the victory-be it baseball or life. It is the time between the big mo- ments, which lasts longer than the big moments, that we must account for, because these moments are, each sin- gle one, important, they should be as important as the big moments. Injuries play a part in both life an.l the game. Not only does it mean something to the injured star, but also to one who fills his place while he is sick or on the shelf! Breaks play a huge part in any game and in life. Close football games are won on breaks as much as on anything else. Luck is an important factor. The player who is good, and consistent may be the better, but if he is luckless, he will lose to the favored one. I There are streaks. There are streaks of gcod luck and bad. There are win- ning streaks and losing streaks. It is surprising what a perfect day at bat will do to help a player's average. It takes a long time sometimes for a play- er to eliminate a slump, but he must not stop trying. When losses pile up, everything goes wrong, there is a monkey wrench thrown into the works. Athletes and men enter a dark cloud of shadow. It is a shadow of discouragement. De- feats mount up to an impossible num- ber. Everything breaks wrong. The player cannot seem to do a right thing. Play is ragged. Ball after ball is kick- ed away. The subjects is in a slump. He loses all faith. He simply cannot connect with that pesky pellet and says what's the use P All semblance of perfection is lost. Efficiency is lost, is so far away that it is out of sight. The heaviest of discouragement sits on the victim of the slump. Everybody has days like this. But the victim must not give up. There is a silver liningg that efficiency must be sought and found again. One must keep plugging. W'hat is the greatest game of all? It has been said that war is the greatest game of all. But we are comparing life and a game. War is not life, even though it is a game of life, but war is death. VVhat is the greatest game? The answer must be-Life is the greatest game of all. Emmons Taylor, '39 HONOR Honor is a thing for all times and all occasions. It is not a thing that can be settled and established once for all. It must be maintained day by day. Many of us have a high sense of honor, yes, we too often keep it for great oc- casions. I rise in the morning and plan to do certain tasks or to enjoy certain pleasures, and say to myself, Tl.is day I shall live to myself and do as I please g but as I go on my search for pleasure, or go to the task, lo, I am met by one of my fellow-men, one perhaps in need or distress, or wishing to share some joy. His claim on me is imperative. I may not ignore him. Here is a simple point of honor on which I may not fail. The story of the Good Samaritan has deep underlying truths. When a certain traveler going on the road to jerico fell among thieves, neither he the least intention of trying and test- nor the thieves, you may be sure, had ing the goodness of their fellow-men. There he lay where the thieves left him. First one traveler then another came by and were tested by the event and failed, each riding on without giv- ing him aid. Then came a Samaritang he, too, no doubt was bent on impor- tant business of his own, and he, too, was tested by the same event. He, however, stayed and poured oil on the wounds of the-injured man and found shelter at an inn, and left money for his comfort and maintenance. So it is that the lines of all of us are continually contrived to test the lines of others, and we fail or succeed, not at

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Z M. F. air. Before them we drop the outsid: exterior of formal courtesy and act with entire simplicity. One element of friendship is tender- ness. VVhen one has become dear to us, we have touched a goal of good fortune. VVe exchange gifts, are good neighbors, and are concerned with the sick. To obtain friendship, be yourself and be sincere at all times. W'e talk of choosing friends but friends are self- elected. They come to us unsought. They can't be judged unfairly, but deference to them must be portrayed al, all times. The higher the type of friendship we demand, the harder it is, of course to establish it in our world. Friends cannot be ideals, but are just like you and me, plain simple folk whose feelings are easily hurt. They are real. . Friends are like books, they are where we can find them although we seldom use them. VVe receive them not for what they have but for what they are. They furnish us entertain- ment without masking or going onto the stage to give brilliant speeches. The roots of friendship are embed- ded deep in the heart of every man. These roots grow and continue to strengthen with the passing of time. Let them expand and continue their growth. As all good things, even friendship must be saddened and broken. Though still, all the beauty is not lost but con- tinues to weave its web in the hearts of man. A Friend in need, -my neighbor said to me- A Friend indeed is what I mean to beg In time of trouble I will come to you, And in' the hour of need you'll find me true. I thought a bit and took him by the hand: My friend, said I, you do not under- stand. The inner meaning of that simple rhyme A friend is what the heart needs all H. S. PILOT the time. Laina Pullckinen, '38 LIFE IS A GAME The song writer said: f'Life is a game we're playing. It is not always as pleasant, perhaps as a game, but the smilarity of the two is noticeable. First, as in baseball, the major league clubs go into training in the spring of the year. They prepare for the season ahead. Liken this to our school system, where teachers, as coaches, will prepare their material, for a career, not a season on the dia- mond. New recruits crop up and fight for a vacant position, or to take an aged veteran's place in the line-up, even as they do in life. These veterans will warm up for a long, torturous season. They practice to prepare themselves and fight off the challenge of youth. Then ,comes the first game. What is there about the first game? Great crowds attend. VVhy is the first game important? There follows a long, strenuous scliedule-a long, hot, dry, weary sea-- son-a campaign stretching through the weeks from the latter part of April to the end of September. The sun will beat d-own on the toil- ing ball players, as again and again they go to their positions in the field. They play in a blazing heat. The games are long drawn out af- fairs. The season drags. A few big moments are remember- cd. 'How long must the team. play to build up a single tense moment? They go through' the same motions again and again. They field the ball. and exchange it around the infield . Despite anv-slowness that creeps in, the players must -keep up with the game. They must not lose track of what is happening, even if it should be dull, slow and uninteresting. They

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4 M. F. H, S. PILOT the end of a week, or a month or a year, but daily, hourly, and unexpect-A edly. T The chances f-or honor and fineness which Fate is constantly offering us lie oftener in small than X in large things. The one who waits for some big opportunity to prove her high sense of lzonor may wait a long time. The road which in the end will lead to the greatest happiness is the road called Honor, but it is at first no road at all-only a little footpath in your life and mine. Following it will lead you to broad roads and highways lead- ing through noble cities, past kings' palaces into wide green pastures and beside peoceful waters. Pauline Giddinge, '39 THE VALUE OF SUPPLEMEN- TARY READING XVhat are the names of the currently popular fiction and non-fiction books? Who wrote Gone With The Wind or the American Doctor's Odyssy? Du you know? Donlt be ashamed if you d-on't, for thousands of high school stu- dents have no idea such good reading material exists outside of their school books and the newspapers. To have a well-balanced, unbiased mind, it is necessary to read, read, read. As students, we find it hard to realize this, for we depend on our stud- ies to take care of that. However, have you ever thought how much our re- spective studies would be improved if we read a good book occasionally? Vocabulary, broader knowledge, betler ways of expressing our thoughts and ideas and countless other advantages may be gained by developing this worthwhile habit. Undoubtedly the best way to dis-' cover the best books to read, is by con- sulting either the book review list in the New York Times, or The Saturday Review of Literature, the latter to be found in our own school library. After writing down your preferences, consult your librarian, and find out just what she has in that list that appeals to you. Be consistent in your reading. Do not read all fiction, neither go to the other extreme and devour all non-fic- tion. Try to keep it well balanced, and what is more important, keep in mind that while you are reading for your own pleasure you are constantly improving your mind. Doesn't the picture of a cozy corner, a deep chair, soft lights, a crackling fire-place and a good book appeal to your imagination? NVhy not make it a reality, and discover one of the most enjoyable and broadening pastimes :ne can cultivate. Marie Merrill. '37 NVe wish to extend our appreciation to those who made this edition of The Pilotl' possible by their Mads. VVe are very grateful to them and feel sure they will get much satisfaction for aid- iz g a worthy cause.