Every year when back-to-school time rolls around, I am carried back in time to those days when I was a school kid. One summer in particular comes to mind. I wrote about it for "my column" in the Barrow Journal, and it ran last week. For those of you who don't read that paper, I'll share it here, in hopes that it will trigger your own childhood memories of hot summer days and the anticipation of going back to school.
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Back To School
“I’ve got a brand new pair of roller skates, you’ve got a brand
new key. I think that we should get together and try them out, you see.” Does
that bring back memories to you like it does to me?
That was a silly song popular the summer before I entered 7th
grade. It wasn’t a particularly favorite song of mine, but the lyrics and tune
were quite catchy. What I did like about it was that it made riding a bike
pretty cool, and the “person” in the song was probably about the same age as we
were that hot summer of 1970. We rode our bikes everywhere. And like the song
says, we didn’t go too fast, but we went pretty far. All over Statham, to be
exact. The dirt sidewalks laden with centuries-old tree roots were a favorite
obstacle course. We’d bounce along, expertly avoiding the roots, or if we felt
really brave, we would drive over them, bouncing around like popcorn kernels in
a pan of hot oil. At that time, the streets in Statham were paved, but not with
asphalt. I don’t know what it was called, but it was an irregular, gravel-type
material, with uneven rocks. I remember this vividly, because sometimes I’d
lose chunks of my big toes to the offending street surface.
My bike was an ugly, old-fashioned, blue bike. I remember it was
my dad who ran along behind me, holding onto the back of the bike to keep me
from falling, and then finally let go when it seemed like I had the hang of it.
He was so proud! A rite of passage never felt so good. I loved riding the bike, but I hated the
bike. It was so old-fogey. All my friends were riding the newfangled “banana
bikes” with the sleek seats and high-rise handlebars. And I’m still on Old Blue
with the wire basket and battery-operated headlight that jutted out about 6"
on the front looking for all the world like something off the Batmobile. I
longed for a new bike with all my heart. One Sunday my mom and dad called my
brother and I outside. What a surprise!
Brand new bikes for both of us! I almost had a heart attack right on the spot!!
I got my snazzy new banana bike with the white wicker basket on front (and no
stupid battery-operated headlight). It was hot pink, had a white seat with
flowers on it. AND it had pom-poms on the high-rise handlebars. I don’t expect
a teenager with a brand new car could have been more excited than I was with my
new bike!!
I would love to know how many miles we logged on the streets of
our little town. We all wore out two or three bikes over the years, and would
celebrate whenever someone got a new one. We would decorate the wheels with
brightly-colored beads that would slide up and down the spokes with every turn
of the wheel. Sometimes we’d take playing cards and fasten them on the forks
with clothespins. We sounded like a pack of Harleys cruising up and down Broad
Street.
Back in those days, the school at Statham went 1st through 8th
grade. We always had two classes for each grade. We stayed in the same room all
day, and had the same teacher all day. Always female. But as we prepared to enter
the 7th grade, we were excited to learn that we would have different teachers
throughout the day, and some of them would be MEN!! We were really moving up in
the world!! A few weeks before school started, Bobbie Jean and I rode our bikes
down to the school house. We went inside to check out the classrooms, and to see
if we could scope out the new teachers. Once inside, we met Mr. Austin, and learned
that we would be in his homeroom. He teased us unmercifully about riding our
bikes, and told us we reminded him of the
I-Ride-My-Bike,-I-Roller-Skate,-Don’t-Drive-No-Car song. We dutifully informed
him that bikes were the preferred mode of transportation for upcoming 7th
graders, and we were proud of it. But after that, the bike song was kind of our
theme song.
What a different world we live in today. I cherish my memories of
growing up in Statham, and bike riding is one of my favorites. Every trip down
Bike Memory Lane always takes me to that 7th grade classroom, meeting my first
male teacher, and I hear that silly song again.
Next week the kids return to school. Some will be excited, some will be
sullen. Summer doesn’t last nearly long
enough these days. Cell phones and
social media keep them connected, so it’s like they’re not apart at all. Not so
back in the olden days, and I always missed my non-Statham friends over the
summer. I always loved the hustle and
bustle of back-to-school preparation, and the anticipation of seeing everyone again.
Of course, that lasted about a week, then I was looking forward to the next
summer break.
Here’s to all school kids, teachers, and the many other staff
people who make educating our kids happen.
Hats off to all of you. In just a
few days, the future of our nation will be sitting in your classrooms. Thank you for all you do to make our world a
better place. Have a great year!!!
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By now, the kids should be settled in their classrooms, and parents are hopefully adjusting to the new normal. Football season is upon us, and soon it will be time for sweaters and Pumpkin Everything!!!
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