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Grand Village at Clear Creek

Sometimes the most meaningful stories come from the people who live right here among us. In this special contribution to our page, Grand Village resident Lanny Gibson shares his story, reminding us of the memories, experiences, and simple joys that brighten our lives.

Enjoy Lanny’s story, shared Friday, October 16, 2026.

You Are My Sunshine

by Lanny Gibson - Resident, Grand Village

The year I attended the first grade was delightful that is, until it was almost over.

The first grade was delightful because I was popular in the classroom. I got on well with the teacher- more than once it had been my intluence with her that saved us from a good chastisement. On the playground, everyone liked me because of my excellent physical coordination, my quick mental discernment, and my natural leadership. My peers depended on me to organize them quickly into a good game and direct them through any disagreements easily.

Yes sir, I was riding high. Time was joy. I was six years old. I had the world cold. I knew where I was. I knew where I was going. I hadn't, as yet, run into any uncontrollable problems.

I couldn't say that once the month of April passed. During that month of the first grade, I ran into a problem head-on. I fell in love with a pretty blonde named JoAnne, and my life changed.

Up until Jo Anne transferred into my section, 1 was winning at marbles our spring obsession which we called Aggies-during recess and after school we played Aggies. I was skillful. I soon possessed a dozen bags of Aggies. After Jo Anne came into the class, however, and took the seat in front of me, I lost my orientation.

I quit hobnobbing around the desk with the teacher, and I quit playing Aggies at recess. I just stood around looking at Jo Anne's magnetic smile and dynamic blue eyes.

It wasn't long though, before i noticed that she wasn't staring back at me in the same manner. In fact, I began to believe that I was invisible to her. Then, one day, she came up to me and asked if she might use my Aggies. I almost broke my leg getting them for her, one bag at a time for the rest of the week. At the week's end, I didn't have a single Aggie left. Jo Anne lost them all. She didn't seem to hold it against me. She smiled pleasantly when I told her I didn't have any more. It struck me the sacrifice of my Aggies had not drawn her and me any closer because she left me immediately and went to skip rope and play hopscotch. I went back to being invisible to her. What could I do to gain control of this situation that upset me so?

After supper that evening, I was mooning about it in my room when I heard Gene Autry singing "You are my Sunshine" downstairs. My sister must have put the record on the phonograph. I don't know how it happened, but I had the answer to the riddle!

I raced into the living room, grabbed the record jacket, and then proceeded to do the difficult job, for a young man who couldn't read, of copying the words of the song from the back of it onto a piece of stationery.

Then, after identifying the word love with Mother's help, I signed it: I love you, Johnny. I put it into an envelope, thinking problem solved! This will tell her how I feel, how we can relax and bask in the pleasure of each other, how we can grow up, get married, and go away to a place of our own in a quiet, peaceful town.

The next day, when I nervously gave her the message at recess on the far side of the playground in the deep shadows of the giant elm tree, she took it, unfolded the paper carefully and just stared at it for a long time while I stood there in frozen tension. Then she handed it all back, looked at me nonchalantly and asked, "What's it say?"

Her words brought the realization to me that, for the first time in my young life, I hadn't taken something awfully important into account-she couldn't read any better than I could! This awareness knocked me breathless into a hole that comes out in China!

As I fell, unforgettable hopelessness filled me. I saw that I couldn't tell her what the paper said. There was more there than the words to "You are my Sunshine" more than the words "I love you, Johnny." This message was a symbol of things there were no words for! How could I tell her?

I continued to fall and fall. Life seemed lonely, unfulfilling, tragic with no place for me. Life would go on the same way it always had on the surface, but I knew it would never be the same.

Suddenly, I felt a sadness so deep I quit falling because I had to. I took the paper, folded it into the envelope, turned in the swaying shadow of the elm and walked away from Jo Anne back to the Aggie players to borrow an Aggie and get my prizes back!
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