Saturday, August 19, 2006

class of '89-Friday 8/19/06

class of '89-Friday 8/19/06

What an interesting day today has been. Kory's freshman orientation was this morning. He's a freshman already, I can't believe it. My second child is in highschool. Well, as I've blogged before, they (Kassi and Kory) are starting new schools this year. They move from the Monroe city schools to my alma mater, Sun Valley, Kassi will be in middle school, and Kory goes to high school. I've tried several times to find a way to get them into the Sun Valley schools, and I truly believe that if I'd been able to, Tommy would never have quit. It's a different atmosphere entirely.

So we walk in just a bit before 8, after sending him off to the gymnasium with the other 9th graders, and sit down in the cafeteria, where the parent meeting was being held. I loved attending Sun Valley, even though I was never very popular, and managed, thanks to good grades and a solid work ethic, to be deemed a nerd and a teacher's pet. But Sun Valley is a long time in my past, and I'd become pretty accustomed to the way things worked in East Elementary, and Monroe Middle & High, which is to say, I'd gotten used to an uncaring, disinterested, hostile and disrespectful environment.

The difference in mood was apparent before we even made it into the school this morning. It was warm and inviting and the people were friendly and personable and just... gave a shit. The kids were well behaved, soft spoken, respectful, it was honestly just amazing!

The crazy part of the whole thing is that one of the assistant principals is a guy who was in my senior class. Calling him "Mr Watts" is going to be weird. And man, let me tell you, it makes you feel old as hell when someone from your senior class says, "I've been here at Sun Valley for 12 years now. I started out teaching science and did that for 10 years and joined the administration last year..."

But it was really funny that he spotted me across the cafeteria and waved. I mean, I was pregnant in my senior year, so I'm probably one of the first people he went to school with who has a child in Sun Valley. Because, he and I were never friends in school, you know? I mean, he was a super nice guy, friendly to everyone, but he had a lot more money than my family did and generally circulated in different social circles than I did.

Weird, the whole thing is pretty weird. And makes me feel old. And the whole thing has me feeling nostalgic too. What I wouldn't do to go back to a time in my life when I could still afford to be naive and idealistic, when I believed that life was always fair and good...

I miss my innocence and my ignorance and my youth.

8 comments:

  1. Beautifully said. And don't we all?

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  2. Anonymous8:55 PM

    I can relate my daughter started hish school last year and my son has two more years and then she's off.

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  3. *sigh* I have two OUT of high school, another in his sophomore year, and my "baby" going into the 8th. Geez. I still can't fathom where the time went. heh...wish I could go back too.

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  4. Anonymous9:48 PM

    Man, I am glad that I made it through my youth and into the good time, when I don't have to obay random rules, get to do basically whatever I want, have money and a car, get to eat what I want, and generally have a lot more freedom. Plus, I am free from school, and get to hang out with people who I like, instead of random people who happen to live in the same area. Ah, adulthood rocks.

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  5. Pepek~
    In truth, I didn't enjoy my teen years all that much, and don't think I'd actually want to do it again, but I do miss the simplicity of life when the worst thing you have to worry about is which super-skin-tight jeans to wear on your date Friday night, or finishing the essay for class!

    Rose, I have one 17 yr old (quit school, working full time) and a freshman, which makes me feel ancient, but I still have a 3yr old to keep me young!

    Mary~ I didn't realize you have TWO out of school! What's that like?! haha, I'm so not ready to have little adult.

    Dman, lmao, right? So adulthood has some definite perks, but you have to admit that the perks come with some serious responsibilities!

    *hug* to you all
    ML~
    ~E

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  6. hey, E...you think it's tough now? Whoa Nelly!! Wait till you have one that lives out of state! John's home, visiting form WA state :0) It's nice to have all my kids under one roof, again, for the time being anyway. He's still dancing, albeit a starving artist, but he's going back to a new job.

    Mike graduated last June and works at The Tall Mouse (craft store :-))
    where I work and is saving up for school so he can start next January. Rich starts his sophomore year the second week of September and Rose the 8th grade.

    Let me tell ya, the only thing that I'm thankful for at the moment is that I only have to go school shopping for TWO instead of FOUR kids this year! lol

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  7. Wow, your youngest is in 8th!? My youngest doesn't start kindergarten for 2 more years! Oh man, how I'm going to cry when she does.

    I honestly can't imagine having mine move out. My oldest is absolutely vibrating with the anticipation of freedom, and it scares the bejeezus out of me. You know, in 3 years, I might just only have 3 kids home Mary, and it makes me sad (and a little excited haha) to think about it.

    I had to shop for 3, and in a couple of years, I'll be shopping for 4 again. I'll be broke for another 20 years. Come onnnnnnn Ed McMahon!

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  8. yeah...can you believe it? They're MY kids and I have a hard time dealing with it. It's just so difficult to fathom NOT having kids at home...I've been kinda going through early empty nest syndrome. lol It's a good thing I've found what I want to do for the rest of my life BEFORE they all moved out!

    Don't feel bad, I'll be broke just as long as you...college is freaking expensive and I'll probably be taking classes with them!!! :-D

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