Henry

I really don't remember when Henry first came into our lives, where he came from or even how he got his name. Many other families would call an object with the same purpose "the board of education". Henry is a beefed up yard stick. Twice as thick as the wimpy sticks that the hardware store gave out, Henry has brass reinforcing the ends, and extends a full 48 inches!  Dad would grab Henry when he needed to discipline us with a quick swat. The extra length made sure Dad wouldn't miss his mark and we didn't need to even be near as with Henry in hand, Dad could reach clear across the room. After the first couple of incidents, all that was usually needed to keep us in line was just the threat that Henry would come out of the closet.

Henry had other purposes as well. After all, a beefy 4 foot yard stick could come in handy for measuring things.

Years later, as we cleaned out Dad's house for the last time, one of the items that came home with me was that now antique measuring stick that we as children called Henry. No longer used as a board of education, he is content to stay in the closet until needed to measure something.