Lately I have been wanting to blog, but not always about politics and issues that we face in America these days. So I googled ‘writing prompts’ and there are a ton of sites that can give ideas and subjects to consider.
One I thought might be fun is this: List and explain 5 things that I remember well from my childhood. So, here goes…
Let me first say, it is sometimes hard to separate my own memories on some things versus what others have said and from seeing photographs from my early years.
This list is in no particular order.
1. I remember when I was in 7th grade my parents decided to take me out of the Cleveland Heights, Ohio public school system due to concern about roughness in the schools. Both my older sister and older brother went to the very large middle school there (was it named Kirk Jr. High?) and I specifically remember that they wore ‘uniforms’ of collared shirts and pants for the boys, and ‘midi’ blouses (cotton, with a sailor style neckline) and skirts for the girls.
This was in the mid – to late 60’s and there was a lot of racial unrest, and I remember my brother was fearful going to and leaving school because ‘bullies’ hung out around the school and on his path to walk home. They acted tough, and stole things from other students.
So, by the time I was ready to head off to middle school, my parents chose to pay tuition and send me to St. John’s Lutheran School for 7th grade. My father was a Lutheran pastor so I suppose he had an ‘in’ for getting me enrolled. Some of my classmates from Caledonia Elementary also transferred with me so I already knew a few of the kids and that helped. Many memories stick out during that pivotal year.
One memory was that I played my flute with Sandy Suppes on clarinet at a band program. We worked for weeks on the duet and we had it down. And, thankfully, the piece went well – and I remember my mom saying what a good job we did. I was proud that she was proud.
I also remember that I got accused of talking in class when I was not supposed to, and I was very offended by it. I have always been a rules follower so I felt I was not guilty. Another girl was trying to talk to me, so we both got reprimanded. Our punishment was to have to stay after school for detention. Well, I lived pretty far away from the school so I missed the bus during the detention days, and I had to have one of my parents pick me up. One day though, a girlfriend and I decided to walk home. It took an hour and a half or so. Obviously there were no cellphones back then so I remember being in big trouble once I got home.
7th grade is an interesting time of growing! Right? I remember the boys being immature still and thinking it was funny to ‘snap’ the back of girls’ bras. I also remember it was the first time playing ‘spin the bottle.’ Ha! It was at school, and I remember sitting in a circle with a group of classmates, boys and girls… and ‘having’ to kiss whoever the spun bottle landed on. Mind you, it was a ‘peck’ but I was nervous because I had liked Steve Brady since 4th grade. He was in the circle. I don’t think we kissed. I don’t remember that we did and I think I would have remembered had it happened.
2. Going back in time, I had a teacher in 2nd grade named Miss Reed. I remember her name because she scared me. She seemed like an old bitty in my young eyes. She was mean, and she even inspected our fingernails to see if they were dirty, or if we bit them down.
3. My fourth grade teacher was the opposite. Ms. Hayes. She was kind. I remember that she kept a bottle of hand lotion on her desk and often used some and worked the lotion into her hands while talking with us. She was tall and had a pretty smile. I think I even ‘got’ to stay after some days and clean the chalk board and stamp out the erasers of chalk on the stoop of the classroom door that led outside. I remember doing it – as a nice thing. Not a punishment. During that time we still had recess right after lunch. We’d go out on the blacktop behind school and the girls would play “Chinese jump rope” (how not politically correct!) It was an elastic rope tied in a circle, that then went around the legs of two girls, and the other girls would take turns jumping in the middle, and making designs, etc. Fourth grade was also when we got ‘music time’ with flute-a-phones. I did okay with it, thanks to having taken piano lessons and knowing a little bit about notes and scales and such.
4. Back to 7th grade…. As it turned out I only went to that Lutheran school for one year. My dad took a new pastoral position in a smallish town called Bucyrus, Ohio. It’s near Mansfield for those that know Ohio. For those that don’t, it is halfway between Cleveland and Columbus. I started 8th grade in the middle school there. What I remember? Band. I played flute and shortly after I started there another girl named Noreen moved in to town too and also played flute. We bonded. I also remember going to my first dance there. It was held on the gym floor, which was raised up to double as a stage for the theatre. I think “Stairway to Heaven” was the big song then. And “Jeremiah was a bullfrog…” The girls hung together in groups. The boys stood together too. The only boy I remember who asked me to dance was a kid who ‘bless his heart’’ was a bit slow minded and had no rhythm.
5. Eighth grade also introduced me to Paula. She and her family moved into town, and they moved in directly across the street from Noreen. Paula was also in band. She played trombone! I guess that was a rebel choice at the time. Boys played trombone – not girls! She became my bestie along with Terri, and I can’t remember how Terri and I first hooked up. Maybe she or Paula remembers. We were called “The Three Musketeers” for the following years we were all together at BHS. We joined clubs together. Ate lunch together. Even were in school plays together. Paula and I were musical. Terri was athletic and she became a cheerleader.
Childhood friendships never go away. oh, many years can pass with little correspondence. But there is a place in the heart for those who you grow up with, and going through the experiences of teenage angst and all the goofiness and laughs together. I have recently reached out to both Paula and Terri. Thanks to email and social media it’s not hard to do, and response is quick. As it happens, Paula and I are going to meet up in Nashville at the end of May to see her youngest son perform. He, Michael Marcagi, has turned into a TikTok and Instagram sensation as a singer songwriter. He is in Europe touring right now. I follow him on IG. Gee, maybe he got his love of music from his mother and her band background!
Well, I listed really more than 5 childhood school memories just now. Once I got thinking it got me remembering more and more. A different time. Cherished memories.
Perhaps some of you reading this, who are about my age, can go back too and think back to that time and your experiences. I hope it makes you smile.
Marla’s Musings 