I'll Be Somewhere Listening

Long before the sun rose this morning and before I awakened, I heard someone call my name. I quickly opened my eyes and scanned the room to see who called me. It sounded like a female’s voice, like momma’s voice, or like my wife Lisa’s. I listened intently but there was nothing stirring in the predawn hour.

I, like most of you, do not remember the first time I heard someone call my name. I do remember that momma called my name more than anyone. Momma yelled my name several times a day. The first dozen or so times she would holler BOBBY. She would proceed to BOBBY EARL and when she meant business it was my full name BOBBY EARL HOPPER. That was not good. It followed with a physical reprimand and at times “I’m going to tell your daddy when he gets home.”

When my sister came along momma yelled Bobby even more especially when my sister learned to talk and the fine art of tattle telling. When two more brothers entered the family I did not get yelled at as much but still received my fair share. They did not inherit the fine art of tattle telling as did our sister. Interestingly more family members meant more to call my name.

In grammar school, teachers called my name in roll call and sometimes answered questions about the class assignments. I did not enjoy my name being called by the teacher to answer questions. I learned if I raised my hand quickly, the teacher would not call on me.

That little trick worked wonders in the fourth-grade speed reading class. I do not always understand what I read, but raising my hand quickly the teacher thought I understood what I read. This allowed me to be one of the top readers.

In the eighth grade, Mrs. Ekblad called the roll three times. The first time was for attendance. The second time was after a spelling test. We would swap test papers with another student after the test. Two students ahead of me were Charles and Judy Ellison. They always answered their names with, “I did’t miss any.” When Mrs. Ekblad called my name I say, “I didn’t miss many.” The third time she called the roll was for an English test. One again when she called my name I repeated, “I didn’t miss many.”

Playing high school football when the announcer introduced the starting lineup it was good to hear him call my name. It was fun to hear the crowd holler my name especially on defense when I made the tackle.

Having my name called to come to the office was not always good. Having homeroom teacher Mrs. Betty Giles call my name after I retrieved a record player and playing the hit song Why Do You Bill Me Up Buttercup Baby by The Foundations got my right buttock burning. I thought she was playing but when she made bend over and grab my ankles as she pulled my blue jeans tight, the paddling burned and I could not sit on my right buttock the rest of the day. My Life Lisa loves to send me that song via text messaging. My buttock burns ever time I hear it.

When I attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, I took Greek. Dr. R. E. Glaze was the professor. I made a C in the first class and a B in the second one. After a test in the third-class Dr. Glaze would say, “There were three F’s” and call out the student's names. I responded to a preacher friend saying I’m one of the F’s. I was not.

Then he said, “There were four D’s.” I told my preacher friend, I made a D. I didn’t but my preacher friend did. Next, she said there were more C’s than any other score. I smiled and told my preacher friend I made a C. I did not. Next were the B’s and my name was not called. Then I panicked and said, “I forgot to sign my stupid test paper.” Yes, I’ve done it before.

Finally, Dr. Glaze said, “There were the A’s.” I was the middle A. My preacher friend said, “Hopper, I hate you for talking me into taking this stupid Greek class.”

 "Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ” Galatians 4:7 KJV

An old hymn, I’ll Be Somewhere Listening has these words:

When my Savior calls I will answer

When He calls for me I will be there

When my Savior calls I will answer

I'll be somewhere listening for my name