Thursday, March 11, 2010

School daze memories

A huge thank you to all who responded to my last post. I am delighted to say that my sixth invitation was accepted, and we will be joined by another couple.

One of my commentors said something to the effect that I should forget the couple thing and have a girls night out. Which is a brilliant idea, however, as 50% of the gender of the couples I asked ARE my girl friends and the ones I would ask to do a girls night out. So you see I'd still find myself in the same dilemma.

But, it's all good.

On another note - last night as I lay in bed I asked myself a question and I'd like to pass it along to you.

In your days at Elementary School - what was your favourite room at the school?

I'm really not sure why this query came to my mind, but it did and I reflected on it. Kindergarten through half of grade 5 was spent at Central Elementary School. It was in fact the same elementary school my dad had attended 40 years earlier, and my Grandfather (a mason or brick layer) had helped build.

School was never a strong point, or even a truly happy place for me growing up. I did not take comfort in books or learning. Social skills for this very shy little lass were hard to come by, and I generally spent a lot of time causing "innocent" trouble in the classroom - especially for the boys for some reason.

But I digress - my favourite room in the entire two storey building was not the Gym (Phys-ed and I never did see eye-to-eye), nor the Art room (back in the days when the school system actually taught art), or the music room (the teacher had a lazy eye and I could never tell if she was looking at me or yelling at the person beside me). Strangely enough it was the Library that I took comfort in being in. I say 'strangely' because I didn't like to read.

If a book had lots of pictures I'd be gone for hours just looking at different things. But reading . . . not my bag. I can even remember being one of the kids that had to take the Remedial Reading class. Hated it!

But there was something about the peaceful quietness of the library that I couldn't find anywhere else. I even remember there being a huge bay window in this room that begged to have you curl up in the window seat and daydream out the window - or into a fun picture book - take your pick.

It wasn't until a few years later, and a different school that I truly got hooked on ready. At the ripe old age of 12 I somehow got introduced to Historical (read: bodice ripper) Romance. I've rarely been without a book on the go since then. Although, I'm happy to say my reading tastes have matured.

I don't visit the library very often, but when I do, I always drink in the change of pace and excitement at finding a new adventure on the written page.

So .... what was your favourite room and why?

5 comments:

Purple Cow said...

Like you I loved the library. Being an only child, books were my siblings and always brilliant friends. I remember reading the Chronicles of Narnia in fifth grade, all of Dickens and when I got really bored I would just hang out and read the encyclopedia. I still feel the same way. Thanks for bringing me this memory.

Good Timing said...

I LOVED the library. But does that surprise you? I still do. :) Our library had these bunk bed like things that you could sit on top of or under and they were much coveted back in those days. Sigh.

Lin said...

Am I the only one to say the lunchroom??? I loved joking around with the pallies. :)

LJ said...

Purple Cow: You're welcome. Glad to bring back nice memories. I also loved encyclopedia's - but just for the pictures.

Good Timing: I KNEW you would say the library. That's the teacher in you. I find it hard to picture bunk bed type seating though.

Lin: I was in 3 school between K and 12 - and none of those schools had a lunch room. If we stayed through lunch we sat in our homeroom classes and then went outside (weather permitting). I was always jealous of schools that had cafeteria's. Those kind of lunches always sounded way more fun that what my mom would put together.

Damaris said...

YOU ARE FUNNY!!! I too loved the library. I am a native northerner and the library in my school had the most majestic wooden book cases. They were majestic not only in looks but in size. They had ladders that you could climb to get books...ooohhhh, just thinking about it makes me happy. I have always loved to read. (My grandmother passed that gift onto me) I believe that books are adventures and can take you anywhere you want, and even sometimes surprise you to a new destination in life. YUP...I LOVE BOOKS!!! So, to answer your question...DEFINITELY THE LIBRARY.
HUGS,
Me