Memories of school

Thinking about old times this morning and that's probably because a classmate from the 1960's called me last night. Hilda, her name is Hilda. Actually, there were three Hilda's in my graduating class. That's kind of unusual as we were a class of only thirty five...I'm thinking that's correct. After we had talked and then said our goodbyes, I remembered that somewhere in an old box was a really good picture of Hilda. Hey, she must have liked me to have given me a picture.

It was an honor to have Hilda call me and so good to talk with her again. You see, my last three grades in school, I felt like a nobody and very inferior. Good grief! and do I not still deal with those same feelings on a daily basis!

Third grade through ninth grade, my family lived in the booming little town of Robbins, where my heart remains even today. Shelby, Jackie, and I went to school there. However, in 1956 Daddy bought the farm. I completed ninth grade in Robbins then had to change schools and ride the school bus to West End School every day. It was not changing schools that damaged my poor brain as much as it was our family life so totally changing and falling apart. The 50's were happy times...the 60's brought sadness. Teenage years are hard enough, but throw in watching your loving, caring, perfect parent's marriage falling apart. Oh wow!

Hilda called to tell me about our upcoming class reunion set for June 4th. Hopefully I can talk Poppy into going with me.  We did go to the first class reunion held in 2008.

Here we are and that's me in the pink, trying to hide, (the story of my life), behind Mrs. Thompson, our English teacher, on the far left. 

Dear friends, here you go! An example of my high school days, or daze!  In English class one day, Mrs. Thompson called me to the front to read, or recite, a poem. Panic swept over my entire body. I somehow walked that long mile to the front, turned around, and faced the class. With my heart in my throat I spoke maybe two words of that poem, looked up and saw two cute boys sitting in the back of the class with their heads together, whispering. In the class picture, see the one with a yellow shirt and the guy beside him with a touch of blue shirt showing? Those guys. It was those two! Probably neither one of those boys even knew that I was standing up there like an idiot, but my thinking then was that they were whispering about me. Not another word did I speak, not one! Looking down at the floor, I walked that long mile right back to my desk and sat down. The heck with that poem! The heck with school! The sad part is that I love poetry and had memorized that poem...but felt only anguish and pain standing there in front of the class. And by the way, the guy in the yellow shirt had been my boy friend. :)

That's me and my brother Jackie in our front yard at our happy home in Robbins. We were ready for school and waiting for Daddy to drive us. I was probably in seventh grade there.

Good gosh! I've simply got to get busy. Poppy gets off work at 12:00 today.

Thank you if you have somehow managed to stick around this long. :)

Love,
Henny