Another feature of my small town scandal sheet (a steal at $1.00 for eight pages) is the “Echos from the Earth” column which gives flashbacks from articles from 5 to 20 to 50 years ago. Two of the topics really took me back. Five years ago in the paper dated 8-25-2005, Ma2 was named Ohio American Legion Educator of the Year. An honor I know she cherished very fondly.
The second item that really caught my eye was dated 8-29-1980… 30 years ago, folks!. It even was from the days when school opened in September. I was going into the first grade. My oldest brother was going into the 6th grade and the other one would be starting the 5th grade. We won’t say how old my baby sister was!
Thirty years ago this year, my school system welcomed a new P.E. instructor/basketball coach (whom I remember very well from my elementary days), another teacher I cannot place because he was a high school instructor and was gone before I got there. Also welcomed was a certain teacher who “will assist music department head Bill Quackenbush whose primary responsibility would be to the junior high bands.” (That is how the sentence read so the grammar is not my fault). I have been told that Emily was a student teacher at the high school where another tangenteer was enrolled.
(A tangent from one of my memorable moments with Mr. Q. Not only was he the high school band director back in the day but was also the tennis (?) coach. He was the instructor of the summer tennis program. We were volleying the ball back and forth. All of a sudden, I felt a ball SMACK into my eye! We rush into the school, get an ice pack, and a Mt. Dew. The next day, I woke up with a shiner. 😀 )
Emily was also the music instructor at the local Catholic school for a number of years. So she was the teacher of 5 Sh kids and two Sh grandkids. God must have helped there!
Emily also is having a hand in my song list for the evening of fun and music I am planning with some of my best friends and my new coach. We had been working on one of the selections for a great while and is now at the performance stage after a bit of polishing and tweaking.
A week or so ago, I was requested to find a good worship song to begin with. I cannot believe that it took me nearly four hours to come up with one. One of the last pieces Emily and I looked at was one of the most inspirational songs I have ever heard. Definitely will need a prayer to get through but she will be watching and I will be able to lean on her shoulder.
Not really gone as long as we remember.
It’s neat that you grew up in a small town that you still care to read about.
And time has an unfortunate way of not really accurately measuring missed memories, doesn’t it…
As an amateur writer from London, England, I rarely come across really well written publications like this blog which really helps me inspirationally. It shows me what superb articles are all about. There are lots of low quality writings on the web and it’s very sad. Thank you for your well written posts! I frequently read your blog and enjoy the content you share. I look forward to more of your work.
Thank you botkier. Glad you enjoy it.