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.
Showing posts with label blog back time. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog back time. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
school dance
If I Could Blog Back Time
is hosted each Thursday by Lola of Lola's Diner.
Today's topic: School Dance
What was your first school dance? Or memorable Homecoming Dance or Prom? Tell us about it. And if you've got photos of the event, post them.
In thinking on this subject, I realized that I have several occasions I could write about. I also have pictures from the last two year's worth of high school dances, but I think I'll save those for another time.
There was one dance that will forever be etched in my memory. It was my sophomore year and it was a Sadie Hawkins dance. [For those who might not know what that is, it is where the girls ask the guys to go to the dance with them.] The theme at my high school for Sadie Hawkins was country or cow boy/girl, which made this situation a little better since I didn't put a lot of money into a dress and all that goes along with that.
There were a couple of guys that I had my eyes on to invite to the dance. I was excited (and nervous) to ask one of them but really looking forward to the dance. I remember sitting around with a group of my friends in youth group discussing the upcoming dance and who was going with who. As the group thinned out, an old boyfriend came up to me and convinced me that I should ask him to the dance - as friends.
I was a little surprised. We had our time together but it had passed. We had remained friends and he was one of the cutest boys at church and in school. There was a little part of me that was flattered that he wanted to go with me. I even entertained thoughts that he had deeper feelings for me than I thought. But there was a bigger part of me that didn't want to ask him because there was another boy I really wanted to ask. This was my chance to act on my feelings without it becoming "weird" to let him know that I liked him.
To make a long story short, I agreed to inviting this boy. my old boyfriend. We met at the dance and went in together. I think we even danced a dance or two. I don't remember all the details because what I do remember is that he ended up ditching me for another girl. He deserted me and when I finally found him, he was having his picture taken with this other girl. I then watched him dance with her and sip punch together before I called my mom to come pick me up.
What I didn't know at the time was that this boy and girl had liked each other for some time but had only shared their affection for each other after the girl had already asked another boy to the dance. My date needed a way to get into the dance so he could spend some time with her. I was his way in. It didn't really help my hurt feelings to find out that the guy she took to the dance was dumped in much the same way as I was. Nope, my feelings were pretty well stomped on.
The boy and I didn't talk much after that. He knew he had been a jerk and even though I didn't hold a grudge, I had no need for someone like that in my life. Some lessons are harder on us than others.
Okay, to end this post on a positive note, I'm including pictures, even though I cringe at them, from the next two Sadie Hawkins dances (1976 and 1977). By my Junior year, Don and I were seriously dating and I attended all the dances with him. They were all happy occasions.
is hosted each Thursday by Lola of Lola's Diner.
Today's topic: School Dance
What was your first school dance? Or memorable Homecoming Dance or Prom? Tell us about it. And if you've got photos of the event, post them.
In thinking on this subject, I realized that I have several occasions I could write about. I also have pictures from the last two year's worth of high school dances, but I think I'll save those for another time.
There was one dance that will forever be etched in my memory. It was my sophomore year and it was a Sadie Hawkins dance. [For those who might not know what that is, it is where the girls ask the guys to go to the dance with them.] The theme at my high school for Sadie Hawkins was country or cow boy/girl, which made this situation a little better since I didn't put a lot of money into a dress and all that goes along with that.
There were a couple of guys that I had my eyes on to invite to the dance. I was excited (and nervous) to ask one of them but really looking forward to the dance. I remember sitting around with a group of my friends in youth group discussing the upcoming dance and who was going with who. As the group thinned out, an old boyfriend came up to me and convinced me that I should ask him to the dance - as friends.
I was a little surprised. We had our time together but it had passed. We had remained friends and he was one of the cutest boys at church and in school. There was a little part of me that was flattered that he wanted to go with me. I even entertained thoughts that he had deeper feelings for me than I thought. But there was a bigger part of me that didn't want to ask him because there was another boy I really wanted to ask. This was my chance to act on my feelings without it becoming "weird" to let him know that I liked him.
To make a long story short, I agreed to inviting this boy. my old boyfriend. We met at the dance and went in together. I think we even danced a dance or two. I don't remember all the details because what I do remember is that he ended up ditching me for another girl. He deserted me and when I finally found him, he was having his picture taken with this other girl. I then watched him dance with her and sip punch together before I called my mom to come pick me up.
What I didn't know at the time was that this boy and girl had liked each other for some time but had only shared their affection for each other after the girl had already asked another boy to the dance. My date needed a way to get into the dance so he could spend some time with her. I was his way in. It didn't really help my hurt feelings to find out that the guy she took to the dance was dumped in much the same way as I was. Nope, my feelings were pretty well stomped on.
The boy and I didn't talk much after that. He knew he had been a jerk and even though I didn't hold a grudge, I had no need for someone like that in my life. Some lessons are harder on us than others.
Okay, to end this post on a positive note, I'm including pictures, even though I cringe at them, from the next two Sadie Hawkins dances (1976 and 1977). By my Junior year, Don and I were seriously dating and I attended all the dances with him. They were all happy occasions.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
favorite peaceful place
I recently came across something that I thought would be fun plus it keeps in line with the purpose of my blog; to record my personal history. Every Thursday, Lola from Lola's Diner hosts If I Could Blog Back Time. Each week she gives us a different topic to reflect on and share our memories through a blog post.
This week's topic is: Favorite Peaceful Place
What are some of your favorite outdoor places to go where your spirit is lifted and the rest of the world doesn't matter? Where life stands still and you feel at peace?
Growing up, I moved quite frequently, which meant I never had close friends. To compensate for this, I always made or found a place that I could go to be all by myself, with my own thoughts and imagination. I remember times when I would need to be by myself to escape reality, whether that meant my parents, my siblings, school, or school mates. I'm not sure I would describe the result of these times as one where my spirit was lifted, but I know I could shut out everything to the point where the world didn't matter. I did feel at peace.
Out of all these places of my childhood, the one I would have to say was my favorite was the rooftop of our garage where I lived when I was in sixth grade. I only lived there for a year and in some ways, it was a difficult year. I would climb a tree (it was either an apricot or peach) that stood next to the garage. Once I got high enough, I could step onto the roof. I could walk all around the roof, and usually did. From that vantage point, I could look into neighbor's yards and watch the cars go by on the nearby freeway. Most of the time I would just sit and be. The roof was my refuge.
There was one other place that came to mind while reflecting on this particular topic. From sixth grade on, I lived in a city near the beach. Once I was old enough to drive, I often drove down to a specific beach and park on the street overlooking the water. I could sit there in my car or on one of the many benches and watch the water, the birds, and the people engaged in their "beachy" activities like surfing, flying kites or rollerblading. I mainly went there when I needed to think and figure something out. Being at or near the beach always lifts my spirits and will always be a popular refuge.
This week's topic is: Favorite Peaceful Place
What are some of your favorite outdoor places to go where your spirit is lifted and the rest of the world doesn't matter? Where life stands still and you feel at peace?
Growing up, I moved quite frequently, which meant I never had close friends. To compensate for this, I always made or found a place that I could go to be all by myself, with my own thoughts and imagination. I remember times when I would need to be by myself to escape reality, whether that meant my parents, my siblings, school, or school mates. I'm not sure I would describe the result of these times as one where my spirit was lifted, but I know I could shut out everything to the point where the world didn't matter. I did feel at peace.
Out of all these places of my childhood, the one I would have to say was my favorite was the rooftop of our garage where I lived when I was in sixth grade. I only lived there for a year and in some ways, it was a difficult year. I would climb a tree (it was either an apricot or peach) that stood next to the garage. Once I got high enough, I could step onto the roof. I could walk all around the roof, and usually did. From that vantage point, I could look into neighbor's yards and watch the cars go by on the nearby freeway. Most of the time I would just sit and be. The roof was my refuge.
There was one other place that came to mind while reflecting on this particular topic. From sixth grade on, I lived in a city near the beach. Once I was old enough to drive, I often drove down to a specific beach and park on the street overlooking the water. I could sit there in my car or on one of the many benches and watch the water, the birds, and the people engaged in their "beachy" activities like surfing, flying kites or rollerblading. I mainly went there when I needed to think and figure something out. Being at or near the beach always lifts my spirits and will always be a popular refuge.
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