Tuesday, June 4, 2013

8th Grade Graduation and a Trip Down Memory Lane

Pin It
One of my grandsons graduated from 8th Grade this year.

At a "Remembrance Ceremony" he sang the National Anthem

I 'thought' I was recording it, when I noticed this little red button...

anyway, it is partly there.

Which brings me to the part down the memory lane. You may want to skip this, it is just memories that came to mind when I thought of 8th grade.

Many years ago, 48...
I graduated from 8th grade.

At a little country school, we had about 20 students in the 8th grade. We shared a room with the 7th graders also. Our 2 teachers traded off on subjects. I remember our 'man' teacher the most. He had a sense of humor that would 'now-a-days' be considered so politically incorrect. He had "names" for most of the classmates. One of the girls, who was absent more than at school he named "The Visitor", another young man who was growing faster than his parents could keep him in pants enough to cover his ankles he named "The Flood Inspector" and so on. I can't remember the name he gave one young man who was in pure size and demeanor a bully, but he surprised us all.

Jimmy Tufts was larger than the teacher. His glare probably hid his frustration of being in a poor home with who knows what that went on there. At the night of the graduation, he appeared in a suit coat (!) and sang with a voice that had us all dropping our jaws. A kind teacher had seen the potential and coached him in singing "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" (from Oklahoma). We were astounded. If this bully could be transformed into a singing canary, what could our future hold? It has been a life lesson for me. Not all that we see on the outside is what is going on inside.


There I am. And, sadly, 
I don't even remember the young man in the other class photo. Old age is coming on strongly.

P.S. to the grandchildren -- yes, that is how I wore my hair!




6 comments:

  1. Trevor did a great job! I think its always fun to hear some of your childhood memories, keep them coming!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Loved the trip down memory lane! I find stories like that fascinating. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cute Mom, I loved reading some of these stories that we have heard over the years. And Yes, I have to say I was proud of Trevor singing, using his talents. Terry (Trevor's Mom)p.s. where did the time go? Is it possible that my second child is graduating from 8th grade?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Helen... I love this story. I am not too far behind you in age. Trevor is adorable!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Really enjoyed this post...Sonja

    ReplyDelete
  6. You have a look of Sheldon in this 8th grade picture! Cute.

    ReplyDelete

Tell Me What's On Your Mind