Free Write Friday, Sept.1, 2012

 

Today I am writing for Kellie, over at

http://kellieelmore.com. Each week she gives a writing prompt, and then I need to do something with it. So now I will give it a try!

Kindergarten. I have a couple of memories of Kindergarten that stick out in my mind. The school I attended had been just built, so our class was the first one to attend and graduate on the front porch. Now the school has been added on many times, and there is no longer that special porch, that I have proof of with my little cap and gown, anymore.

I remember my grandma walked me to school the first couple of days, and now looking back I know why she did it in the first place. I am terrible at directions. Now you are going to laugh at this, I am sure, but from my house, all eyes could see the red, big brick building, and yet my first day that I walked home from school, I had gotten lost. Isn’t that so pathetic? A block a way, and I lose my way. Sort of like Little Bo Peep! To this day, I have to use a GPS, plus make that same road trip a few times, before it is lodged in my head forever. Some things we do carry through out our lives, I am living proof!

I remember that inside the school-house there was a very big doll house, that stood taller than us kids, and you could go inside of it and play or talk with other classmates during recess times in the winter. Back in those days, you were not shoved out into the cold, just because it was recess. There were alternatives.

I had a six-year-old crush on a boy named Timmy. He must have had a baby crush on me also, because he and I would go inside the house and sit together on the benches and hold hands. Oh, if my mother only knew what I was doing at recess, she may have blown the whistle on my innocent flirting! lol. The teacher must either not have noticed that we did this, or she thought nothing of it. Back then words like molesters, rapes, child endangerment, were not part of our home vocabulary. If these crimes were being committed, it was always in the bigger cities. Our little town was safe!

We also had to take our rest mats and lie down either on the floor, or we could choose to rest our heads on our hands on top of our desk. Either way, Timmy and I always managed to be near enough to each other, so we could wink or smile or wave at each other.

As far as learning goes, which is what we are to do in school, I only know by going back to my report cards, what kind of student I was. I got all S’s, so I must have been keeping up, but I could find one thing in common all through my elementary years, and that was the comments made under the conduct section. Grades K-6, always stated that I talked out loud, and talked too much. One year I saw a comment, where the teacher had left my parents a little note, stating she, the teacher, had moved me several times during the year, and could never find me a seat where I would remain quiet.

This also has carried on through out my whole life. If  my situation was different, and I was out in society more, I can be known to talk your leg off. I am sure that one of my friends looks at her watch, when she calls me, to make sure she has the abundant time to talk to me, because we are usually on the phone for an hour. My excuse is to her that I don’t see her often, so I have lots to say, but the truth is, I love to talk. Life, thoughts, dreams, my life as a caregiver, you name it, I talk.

I do remember learning how to count and learn the alphabet and tying my shoes according to the singing directions of Captain Kangaroo. Now a days, you have to know all of this plus your address, phone number etc. I wonder why they have kindergarten anymore. What do they teach, first grade?

The last day of school for kindergarten came, and when Timmy and I were sitting on our oh so familiar bench, we both heard the teacher say that recess was over and to all return to our seats. It was like Timmy knew that he would never be coming to this school again, because he quickly gave me a kiss on the cheek, and then ran out of the doll house, and I never did see him again.

Oh for those innocent fun days of learning again. No bills, no cheating lovers, no time clocks, just fun and learn, all combined into one!!!!