Eating Fried Worms

We wondered what it must taste like to eat fried worms, but no one knew the answer. 

After reading Rockwell's How To Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell, one student stepped up and volunteered to eat fried worms for his class. Brad Driver became a hero in the eyes of his peers that day. 

Ellen Ryan volunteered to help me fry the worms. One Friday in February 1985, I bought big juicy fishing worms from the Bait Shop on Alameda and Cockrell St. in Norman, Ok.  We set up the experiment in the Jefferson School Library, using a  borrowed travel stove top, we added oil to a pot. When the grease began to steam we one by one dropped slimy wiggly worms into the hot grease. 

Brad Driver, Ellen Ryan, and Mrs. Watt

Ellen and I nearly fainted as we watched the worms wiggle and struggle to pop out of the grease. For several years I carried a grease burn on my right arm when one worm flew out of the grease and landed on my arm!  There was gasping in the audience of fourth graders. The screams were held chest tight until Brad Driver took his first bite and swallowed. 

Suddenly, screams of delight and fear echoed through the 4,000 square foot library, ceiling to floor and more than likely out the door. 

One bite and Brad continued until a half dozen crispy curly friend worms, without ketchup or mustard, went down his throat. His mother, Mary Ann Driver made sure to attend this daring act of her son's. She also provided a permission slip for Brad's menu, written on a napkin :)

The fourth grade teachers, our principal, Pat Wiggins, and a few district administrators along with two classrooms of students watching gave Brad a standing ovation that morning. 

Our question still remained. What did a worm taste like. After the applause, one hand waved and asked, "What did it taste like, Brad?" 

"Mushy sticky dirt!" Brad replied with a smile across his face. 

No one was disappointed, and the aarghs and ughs continued until the library was empty of students. Where upon in the dead of winter, I opened the outside door to allow the aroma of fried worms to filter into the fresh air. 

*With the onset of winter I looked around the house for a project. First, I found tubs and notebooks of papers, stories, ideas, notes, and recipes. I took the time to go through one tub and ended up trashing every sheet of paper. The next few plastic containers did not get my full attention. I simply carried them outside to the recycle bin and tossed. Note to self: I haven't missed a sheet. 

I relaxed and patted myself on the shoulders, having been uplifted by the papers now being recycled instead of collecting dust. 

One box and several scrapbooks stopped me. Memories and pictures of library events and teaching from 1972--2008 faced me. By the end of January of 2025, I was ready to accept the challenge to complete what had been started in 1984, added to immensely in 1994, neglected until 2018-2019, then stalled by COVID on February 20, 2020.

This year in mid-January our Jefferson Elementary team of Sallie Kennedy, Carol Upchurch, Kathy Taber, and I began the journey again to complete the collection of stories and memorabilia from 1894-to 2019--The 125-year history of our school. 

After all we are the Jefferson Dragons. We symbolize "Power, Wisdom, and Chaos." Right now, we are sorting through the chaos and laughing...laughing and loving every moment of the expedition. 

As you follow along with us through Literally Letty, I hope you find our history a little bit like your history, filled with joy and sorrow, uplifting moments and drops in disbelief, positive thoughts sharing space with the negative, and celebrations along with disappointments. In the end, I believe that good actions, good deeds, kind words, positive thoughts, and team work make this world a better place. 

And it never hurts to have a lot of guts to step out of your comfort zone and do something amazing, even if it is eating six fried worms.