trip down memory lane

If I Could Blog Back Time
is hosted each Thursday by Lola of Lola's Diner.

Today's topic: Back To School
Tell us your school stories.

I have so many memories - as I'm sure everybody does - of school. I've decided to share one memory from each grade through elementary school.

First Grade: I lived in Maine. One day I decided I didn't want to be at school any more so I just walked out and on to home. No one stopped me and, boy, was my mom surprised when I showed up on our doorstop. To think of it now, it makes me cringe. Can you imagine your first grader walking home all by themselves with no one knowing that they were doing so. It was a safer time back then but still.

Second Grade: I live in Ohio. I attended a very large school where the elementary, middle, and high school were all located on the same campus (weird, now that I think about it). I remember the restrooms didn't have any doors on the stall (weird, too) and I, as a second grader, used the same restrooms as the older girls. I watched them and from my vantage point and young eyes it was obvious that they didn't have to wear their underwear around their ankles when they peed. So, trying to emulate the big girls, I tried keeping my underwear up as I went about my business. Result, I walked away with wet panties.

Third Grade: I moved mid year from Texas to California. This is going to sound sad, but I spent many lunch hours in the lost and found room. Moving mid year meant that I really didn't have any friends. The lost and found room was a small world of wonders to a third grader. It was my escape. I remember how much time I spent looking at all that had been lost and abandoned, and then sit down and spend the rest of the time with my nose in a book. What I don't understand is why the front office ladies allowed me to go in so much and why they didn't check to see if and when I left.

Fourth Grade: I lived in another city in California. I remember I had a crush on my male teacher. I remember he had a detailed map of the country on the wall. Each day he'd have a city's name posted at the top of the map. The challenge was to be the first student to find the city. I figured out I could go to the dictionary (or maybe encyclopedia) and find exactly where the city was located. Day after day, I was the student who "found" the city. It became boring to me so I started telling other students where the city was so they could share the spotlight. I don't think anyone ever figured out how I was so good at the game.

Fifth Grade: I went to the same school as fourth grade. The only memory (I mean only!) I have is an accident I had on the monkey bars. I remember flipping around like I had done so many times before. There was this move where after spinning around the bar several times by your knees, you swing high, let go of the bar, and land and your feet. Except this time I wasn't high enough and I went face first into the sand. I ate a bit of it, bloodied my lip, and felt very disoriented. I remember walking myself to the nurse to be cleaned up before they sent me on to class.

Sixth Grade: We moved to a different city in California. There were some tough girls at this school. I remember getting socked in the stomach to the point of having my breath taken away by one of these girls (also my neighbor). There were many "people" lessons for me that year and from there, the lessons never stopped. What I mean is that I started having an awareness of different cultures and lifestyles and how people act and react. The study of people has been a passion for me ever since.

When and where I was going to school at this time, elementary ended at 6th grade, and 7th and 8th were considered middle school or Jr. high. I'll finish my walk down memory lane in a future post.