Back to School

Our oldest grandson, Brady, is beginning kindergarten this year. But since he is (and has been for some time) in day care and Montessori school, the transition for him isn't so drastic as those just beginning school for the first time (for both him and Mommy).

Seeing pictures everywhere in Blogland and on Facebook of kiddos going back to school takes me back ... waaaayy back and evokes many school day memories. My mother told me that she would send me off to school crying because I wanted to stay home, and my sister would be crying because she wanted to go to school. (I bet my Mom was crying her eyes out just 'cause both of us were crying and giving her fits!!!)

For myself, I remembered this pic with the neighbor kids all set for school.

Me with ruffles on my dress Mom made
My little sister holding her baby doll.

Way, way back there - around 1956. Laddie pencils, tablets with wide rule, chalk and chalkboards, learning to read and write, spelling, and arithmetic. Kind teachers (who were able to keep control in the classroom amazingly just by the fact that they were an authority to be respected), saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag each morning, and the Lord's Prayer were also part of our school days.

All of the girls wore dresses (strange thing I never noticed before that the girl standing next to me appears to be wearing jeans). I had a plaid lunchbox which I carried throughout elementary school. It always contained a grape jelly sandwich on white bread, a thermos of chocolate milk, Fritos, and a fried cherry pie or a chocolate Hostess cupcake (remember the white filling inside? Ewwwww. I think they arrest Moms for lunches like that these days.)

We didn't ride a school bus. I have no idea why unless Tulsa had no public school bus system back then. We all walked to school together. It was quite a distance, too (you know the story, 5 feet of snow and pouring down rain). Seriously though, I have been back to the old homeplace and it was a long distance for children. In 2012, I am sure no Mom would send her children off to walk that far at the age of 5 or 6. Amazing how things have changed. And very sad.

On our way to school, we cut through Ziegler Park ... a beautiful park with lots of huge trees and a creek running through it. I remember everybody taking turns walking on the frozen creek in the winter time. As we crossed the park, we would listen (and tell) stories about what horrible things had happened to little children in that park. Oh, scary tales were told and all of us shuddered as we thought about it. How heartbreaking it is that these nightmarish tales are reality at present.

We were strictly admonished to never talk to strangers, nor were we to ever get in a car with anyone and to come straight home from school. One morning, the sweetest elderly couple (who also happened to be our next door neighbors AND landlords) stopped to ask if I wanted a ride home. Duh. No, I am not allowed to accept ride from strangers. LOL.

Surprisingly enough, though I did heed my Mom's warnings not to ride with strangers, somehow I reasoned it was all right to part from my friends and go home with one of my little classmates who lived in a different direction. Poor Mom would then have to leave my sister with the neighbors to come looking for me. On foot. Not only did she did not know how to drive a car, we were a one car family back then. Ohhhh, yes, I remember the feel the back of the switch on those days that I did not heed what Mama said. :-)

Special memories of the good, the hard and the bad times. I'm sure you have special memories of the end of summer and going back to school. Any favorite you want to share?