No trip to a High School Reunion event is complete without a reminiscent tour of the old neighborhood. It’s strange how tapes just rewind and slowly all the memories come flooding back. Some of those things wouldn’t seem significant to other people but to me blonde and over 50…just the fact that I can still remember them astounds me.
We dedicated the entire Friday before the evening Mixer to checking out the old territory. My hubby was extremely patient as we drove up and down the various streets between 28th and 40th and Indian School Rd and Bethany Home Rd. This was a pretty good sized area and we didn’t actually cover every square foot but we did uncover a plethora of old haunts and memories.
My Old Elementary Schools consisted of Valencia (grades 1-4) and Granada that hosted 2 classes of 4th through 8th. I was one of those that went to Granada for fourth. Now they are Granada Primary and Granada East. My next-door neighbor Cindy was in the second class. I’ll talk more about her in my next blog.
Surprisingly the streets around the schools look the same and even the old Lynnhaven church that we used to cut through their lot to walk to school was recognizable. However there’d be no shortcutting now with all that heavy-duty fencing surrounding the church property. Even with the changes the neighborhood still looked and felt familiar.
I am bold in some areas and a bit of a coward in others. My hubby really did need to encourage me to walk in to the Granada East Office. I’m glad he did because though I had hoped I might be able to look around a bit I was totally surprised that the principal gave me a tour. Most of the classrooms had changed. The old-fashioned windows we gazed out while attempting to tune out the class lessons were gone. No window at all to open, all replaced by present day comfort of the AC we never had the privilege to experience. Though I think I might still prefer the windows. The old multipurpose room where we ate and watched performances no longer has a stage. I was told it had just been a matter of a few weeks that the old tables that folded down out of the walls had been replaced by brand new stationary seating. The lunch serving line had long since disappeared but now there was a lunch café...pretty spiffy I might add. Wonder what my 35 cent a day lunch card would buy now…not even a couple French fries I’m afraid.
I was able to go into the Library and though it had changed it had that very familiar essence. I admit I was not really focused much on my classes or grades at least in the later elementary school years but I have a special feeling for the library. I love to read and I have a passion for books. I think both the Valencia and Granada elementary school libraries played a big part in cultivating that love. Mr. Sanders my English teacher and Mr. Rodriquez my reading teacher were also instrumental in that growth.
Probably the part that touched me the most was our walk out to the athletic field. Even with all the changes I could still see it as it was. I remembered Mr. Nutter and all our P.E. classes, our jumping jacks and wing-stretchers among a ton of other exercises I still recall and do occasionally….quite occasionally. I replayed the relay races and the 50 yard dashes and the hop-step-and jump and broad jump competitions. There we were at recess crowded around ready for 4 square and tetherball. I could even see the volleyball net that I ran into in 4th grade making two huge embarrassing and painful rope burns across my face. It’s uncanny all the strange memories that surface with very little prompting. A tiny flash of memory and I could see the Ball field and all the Little League games we watched on the weekends and summer nights. Even better were our softball teams and the games we played. I still remember my baseball glove and the creative girlie names…”Campus Cuties” at one point and the “Powder Puffs in another era.” How many balls were hit, caught, fielded or missed...too many to count. And plentiful enough to remind me that there was a time that life though challenging…was far less complicated…and often more fun.
Life moves forward, buildings change and people change. Too often people leave…sometimes forever. But we don’t need to worry. The important ones remain as an integral part of our past, our present and our future, because they live on in our heart forever.
Thank you, school staff at Granada East for your kindness in giving me an opportunity to retrace the path to my elementary years. It was a busy day at Granada and you still extended an amazing amount of grace in escorting me through my old memories.
Thank you Mrs. Randall, Mrs. Graham, Mrs. Dundee, Mrs. Svoboda, Mr. Nutter, Mr. Rodriquez, Mr. Pettis and all the other teachers whose names escape me for the moment. Thank you for the memories and the reminder that what we do in life, the choices we make, and the hearts and lives we touch matter. Never underestimate the impact your life makes in the hearts of others.
Thank you God, for the abundant blessings, and the amazing grace and love I have found in this desert place.
We dedicated the entire Friday before the evening Mixer to checking out the old territory. My hubby was extremely patient as we drove up and down the various streets between 28th and 40th and Indian School Rd and Bethany Home Rd. This was a pretty good sized area and we didn’t actually cover every square foot but we did uncover a plethora of old haunts and memories.
My Old Elementary Schools consisted of Valencia (grades 1-4) and Granada that hosted 2 classes of 4th through 8th. I was one of those that went to Granada for fourth. Now they are Granada Primary and Granada East. My next-door neighbor Cindy was in the second class. I’ll talk more about her in my next blog.
Surprisingly the streets around the schools look the same and even the old Lynnhaven church that we used to cut through their lot to walk to school was recognizable. However there’d be no shortcutting now with all that heavy-duty fencing surrounding the church property. Even with the changes the neighborhood still looked and felt familiar.
I am bold in some areas and a bit of a coward in others. My hubby really did need to encourage me to walk in to the Granada East Office. I’m glad he did because though I had hoped I might be able to look around a bit I was totally surprised that the principal gave me a tour. Most of the classrooms had changed. The old-fashioned windows we gazed out while attempting to tune out the class lessons were gone. No window at all to open, all replaced by present day comfort of the AC we never had the privilege to experience. Though I think I might still prefer the windows. The old multipurpose room where we ate and watched performances no longer has a stage. I was told it had just been a matter of a few weeks that the old tables that folded down out of the walls had been replaced by brand new stationary seating. The lunch serving line had long since disappeared but now there was a lunch café...pretty spiffy I might add. Wonder what my 35 cent a day lunch card would buy now…not even a couple French fries I’m afraid.
I was able to go into the Library and though it had changed it had that very familiar essence. I admit I was not really focused much on my classes or grades at least in the later elementary school years but I have a special feeling for the library. I love to read and I have a passion for books. I think both the Valencia and Granada elementary school libraries played a big part in cultivating that love. Mr. Sanders my English teacher and Mr. Rodriquez my reading teacher were also instrumental in that growth.
Probably the part that touched me the most was our walk out to the athletic field. Even with all the changes I could still see it as it was. I remembered Mr. Nutter and all our P.E. classes, our jumping jacks and wing-stretchers among a ton of other exercises I still recall and do occasionally….quite occasionally. I replayed the relay races and the 50 yard dashes and the hop-step-and jump and broad jump competitions. There we were at recess crowded around ready for 4 square and tetherball. I could even see the volleyball net that I ran into in 4th grade making two huge embarrassing and painful rope burns across my face. It’s uncanny all the strange memories that surface with very little prompting. A tiny flash of memory and I could see the Ball field and all the Little League games we watched on the weekends and summer nights. Even better were our softball teams and the games we played. I still remember my baseball glove and the creative girlie names…”Campus Cuties” at one point and the “Powder Puffs in another era.” How many balls were hit, caught, fielded or missed...too many to count. And plentiful enough to remind me that there was a time that life though challenging…was far less complicated…and often more fun.
Life moves forward, buildings change and people change. Too often people leave…sometimes forever. But we don’t need to worry. The important ones remain as an integral part of our past, our present and our future, because they live on in our heart forever.
Thank you, school staff at Granada East for your kindness in giving me an opportunity to retrace the path to my elementary years. It was a busy day at Granada and you still extended an amazing amount of grace in escorting me through my old memories.
Thank you Mrs. Randall, Mrs. Graham, Mrs. Dundee, Mrs. Svoboda, Mr. Nutter, Mr. Rodriquez, Mr. Pettis and all the other teachers whose names escape me for the moment. Thank you for the memories and the reminder that what we do in life, the choices we make, and the hearts and lives we touch matter. Never underestimate the impact your life makes in the hearts of others.
Thank you God, for the abundant blessings, and the amazing grace and love I have found in this desert place.
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