b"final mattersKeep Smiling,CoachBY CHARLES HAMMERT here he was, standing in the frontwould be the opposite of their adult versions. We of the class, saying something aboutwerent mean. American history. His smile told youWe found some other kids to be actors and he knew it all. He knew the secrets.wrote the skit. We had someone play our princi-Just calm down and be patient. I justpal and vice principal, the disciplinarian who got didnt understand. In hindsight, hesent to detention in the skit. I played Johnson as was very much like a retired Georgea young hippy rebel, more of a James Dean mixed W. Bush. He had the confidence of really know- with Spicoli, the surfer dude from Fast Times at ing how it was while sounding like a fool. HeRidgemont High. I came to class late, dribbling would speak in jibs and jabs. Right here now,a basketball and railed against The Man. The girl people. In the constitution.played the teacher and made sure to call out the His name was Aldie Johnson. He spent most ofnames as she yelled at each of us so the audience his time as our high school basketball coach, but Iwould know.knew him as my American history teacher. I didntThe strange thing about being on stage under follow sports, so I didnt care. All I knew was thatthe lights is that its very hard to tell what people there was something in him that compelled himthink. It could have been just another skit that to educate the youth on the real American history.everyone forgot. I remember some laughs at the The American history of Reagan. He was a conser- right time. We all went home and didnt think vative. I was decidedly not. I was the long-haired,about it much. No one kicked us out of school.tie-dyed wearing peace activist. Id read those un- I was wandering around at lunch the next day. derground magazines. I didnt watch TV. I knewYou know that feeling when something is hap-things. I knew that he was the enemy. pening but you dont know what it is? Someone But it was so hard not to like him. He had thecame up to me and told me I had to see some-most wonderful smile. He wore round, framelessthing down the hall. I walked over there. There glasses that gave him just a hint of nutty scholar.was Aldie Johnson, in a long-haired wig and tie-He was no college professor, but he did knowThe writer with Mr. Johnson, his high school historydyed T-shirt, holding up a protest sign, shouting American history. He listened to the students, butteacher. about world peace. He was walking around the he didnt put up with much. I think a lot of the kids were scared of him be- lunchroom, pretending to be ME. I still cant believe it. cause he was the basketball coach.I was so worried. I had no idea why he was doing this. I just wanted to run He was born in 1926 in Buffalo County, Neb., which has the distinctionaway, but he wanted a picture together. Were standing next to each other. Hes of being number five in population in the state. This means it wasnt quitesmiling like he knows something. Im looking grumpy, with a small smile, in the middle of nowhere, but it was close. He was a coach for 41 years andconfused.earned his place in the state high school hall of fame.Mr. Johnson loved his players and students, even the liberal, hippy know-I made a few futile attempts at the beginning of the year to question his as- it-alls who made fun of him. He knew it was flattery and he returned the sumptions. He wasnt mean about it, but he wouldnt take the bait. He wouldfavor. He stood proudly in that hallway with his mock protest sign, just as respond with some quick facts or just move on. He refused to get distractedhe stood proudly teaching his class. He knew I had a lot to learn. He inspires from the task at hand. me to this day. The yearly talent show was coming up. I was hanging around after school,When I hear stories from my junior at Columbia High School of students trying to catch the interest of a girl. She said we should write a skit together.who wont take classes from conservative teachers, I tell her about Mr. John-We didnt have a lot of time, nor did we have any talents. All I could thinkson and show her the picture. of was making fun of the teachers. We came up with something. We wouldThank you, Mr. Johnson. Keep smiling. portray all the popular teachers when they were in high school, except theyCharles Hammer's high school history teacher taught him lessons about life.42/ matters magazine / winter 2026"