A trip down memory lane

Last night and Thursday evening, teachers of the Wichita County school system are giving parent-teacher conferences. Stan and I were scheduled with Abigayle's teacher, Mrs. Sara Brown, at 5:00 yesterday. As soon as it was completed, we went to the junior-senior high school for meetings with Leighlyn's teachers.

Of course, we had been to ball games in the gym and music programs in the audititorium there but had had little exposure to the other classrooms for several years since our son, Adam, had finished his high school career there in 1996. Leighlyn was born in 1997.

Boy! It seemed that very little had changed since I graduated in 1980!!! Basically, I think that everything was exactly as my class left it 30 years ago except for the fact that I THINK the carpet in each room may have been replaced. The hallway lockers were looking like they had been used for another 30 years. Other than being a bit roughed up, the only thing that had changed was that they now sport combination locks. It is sad to see that times have changed so much since 1980 that these locks had to be put into place. I don't know why I was so surprised to see that in August when I took Leighlyn to school to set her locker up for the 2010-2011 school year. After all, shoplifting is at an all-time high in our country. It just makes sense that people would steal out of student lockers also!

At this time, I need to thank my mother for the embarrassing and heartbreaking ordeal she put me through when I was just 3-years-old! At that time, there was a little grocery store located where the vacant lot is now between Western Hardware and the Leoti Standard office named Johnsons. Mrs. Johnson had a pretty kool store there! She sold everything that anyone ever needed--including small toys that were hung in plastic bags on a rotating rack. It was located right next to the front door. One afternoon, Mama and I walked into the store. IMMEDIATELY, the toys caught my attention. As soon as I spotted a plastic doll, I told Mama that I wanted it. She told me "No". Her reluctance to purchase it for me caused me to take matters into my own hands!!! Though the part where I put the doll under my clothes now slips my memory, I do remember standing up in the car after we had paid for our groceries and telling Mama that I had taken the doll anyway.

MERCY ME!!! That wa my second mistake of the day!!! Mama walked me AND my doll into the store and back to the counter where Mrs. Johnson was. Mama demanded that I give the doll to Mrs. Johnson AND I had to apologize for what I had done. If that wasn't bad enough, I also had to promise my mother and Mrs. Johnson that I would NEVER steal again. I was totally in tears and sobbing shortly after I gave my oath to never do it again. Mrs. Johnson was proud of Mama for taking this stand but felt terrible for me in my emotional distress. So, she offered the doll to me anyway. Of course, I would have been just fine accepting it but Mama was steadfast in not letting me have it. She really wanted me to learn my lesson well.

To this day, I remember this lesson and have never ever had the impulse to steal anything again. It is too bad that all parents don't teach their children the same lesson that Mama taught me almost 46 years ago!!! There wouldn't be as much theft in our world today as a result of that!!! I am always floored when I watch talk shows such as Dr. Phil and see that parents and grandparents are teaching their children how to steal clothes, food, etc!!!

Anyway, back to where I began... Walking through those hallways and into the classrooms was very moving for me. It was sad to walk into those classrooms and expect to see my teachers such as Mr. Norman (Jack) Homan at the desk. Time has really flown by, but for me, some things stayed in place in my memory...

VLE-B