Today in church an old friend (the term "old" is one of endearment and not necessarily meant to denote age...even though we are getting old) came up to me and said "hello." His family now lives in California but he plans on returning to the old berg one day. Seeing him again reminded me of the days we spent together in school. The friend who I saw today in church is in the above picture with me.
Here was my first school. I've posted this picture before and I loved that school even though I was only there a couple of years.
After 1st grade, we moved to the modern edifice that still stands today. I've also included this picture before, and yes...planted trees have matured, there's grass in front of the school--even the parking lot is paved (many times over...). The building, once so new and shinny, looks old now. It has not, in my opinion, weathered well the years.
The friend I saw today was also in my 2nd grade class and he's in this picture. It's interesting living across the street in the same house in which I was raised. I see many of these children (now adults) as time goes on. I saw of the these boys at the dentist's office last month. Several girls live close, and some live across the country. I know our principle (who is in every class picture...) died several years ago, and I don't dare guess how long it has been since my 2nd grade teacher passed.
Grade 3...some new faces, some the same. There are many about whom I can remember many things except their names. I even remember where some of them lived. I wonder what has become of those I no longer claim a familiarity...
My wife is only a few years younger than me, and when she showed me some of her elementary school class photos. The children looked so similar. In the above picture above I see someone who's father just died this week and I wonder how the family is doing. I also see friend with whom I've had a chance to re-connect long after we posed for this photo in which the teacher is mysteriously missing, for some reason...
Some of these children are a grade above me. We shared a 5th/6th grade class. I always wished I could have only "enjoyed" only two years of Jr. high school. Nope, I got three years at Kaysville's finest Jr. high.
There are so many memories associated with these simple images, so many communications, so many feelings, embarrassments, joys, pains, and laughs. At times as I drive around the streets of my hometown and see the homes where we all once lived, these memories come back and offer me a moment of joy mixed with melancholy for I know that these memories are only that, memories. Thank God for pictures.
No comments:
Post a Comment