Flash from the past

My good friend Carol just sent me this picture of our grade 8 class at Corpus Christie School. You will know me by the knee socks, which is interesting to me because I am the only person wearing knee socks in my highschool yearbook picture also. Hmmmm!

I remember so many of the faces, many of the names, and definitely felt drawn back into time as I remembered the many experiences of times long past. I remember playing and staying over for supper at Ann Dixon's house, walking to school with Brenda Valley, Mary Provenzano and Maria Martella. I have not so fond memories of baseball, where I never played good enough to be part of the team. I was however, in awe of players like Marie Bradford who could wallop the ball into oblivion. Susanne Quinn was a beautiful singer, and I wonder if she sang professionally when she grew up? Of course, I remember going to a birthday party with many friends at Carol's house which was on top of the hill. Carol, (front row, centre) and I became re-aquainted these past few years when I recognized her name as editor of a local magazine. I am very grateful for her friendship and for the memories she has brought my way. I remember aspiring to be a great artist like Attilio who sat next to me in grade 8, and I hear that he pursued his talent later in life.

The building doesn't exist anymore, but the memories, although faded remain.

• The boys side and the girls side of the school yard
• Wearing dresses to school
• Hopscotch, skipping, marbles and baseball
• Walking to church, two by two
• multipication drills & drills (I think that is the memory linked to Bobby P...7 X 8 = 56, over and over and over...Might have been someone else, but I have always remembered it that way)
• Singing at Christmas
• Making murals
• Art
• Getting the strap in grade 5, for missing two homework questions
• Ice skating

Mostly I remember the Steelton girls, Brenda, Mary, Maria and our experiences together. This also brings back memories of all the other kids in our area who went to what we called back then, the protestant school. I seem to remember some attempts by the institutions at segregation, but somehow as children, we came together anyway...and I am go glad to say that over the years though we have aged, I have also seen a movement toward being more inclusive and less oppressive than the previous generation.

Thanks for the memories....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d7qDSAMB-s&feature=related