#centralschool

I don’t remember being sad about changing schools. I don’t recall being scared. My mom found us a little white house and we were moving there so I had to change schools (still an era with a grade school per neighborhood) 

I remember looking at the house with my mom (she does not recall me seeing it before moving in and was surprised when i told her i remembered years ago)

I remember it had so much old lady stuff in it (large table and tea set)  and that i thought the carpet was awesome (red tone, dark colors, diamonds and triangles in spread out patterns i’ll never be able to describe)

i remember my best friend chris coming over at some point. this was i think when my mom was like ‘um you should really just put your arm around your girlfriend’. i don’t think we’d say that these days. guess it depends on who you are. i wouldn’t say it to my kid if they were looking happy with their buddy. 

While I suspect I had a crush on Tammy in a weird way I didn’t understand, I had a crush on Susan in a very big way that I understand very well. 

Susan was a blonde, doe-eyed girl in my two grades when I was in central school. I remember being very open, even verbally, about my affection for her. Giving her valentines. Telling people I liked her without a care in the world. I think this was grade 1 because in my mind the classroom layout is different than Mrs Clark’s hellhole. 

I was never really friends with Susan (didn’t play with her like Tammy) she was just beautiful and I liked telling her so and was not shy about it. 

After I switched schools I would never really speak to her again. Damn moving to a new school after two grades really did change everything for me. If I had kept that set of friends in that school I don’t think I would be who I am - better or worse. 

She and I did not get along it seems. My only memories of her are being scolded. I went to recess without my snow pants on. I got my pants wet. I was made to sit in the back of the room in my long johns away from the rest of the class. I remember feeling very devilish and still proceeding to cause trouble despite my isolation in the back. 

In reference to names that will surely appear or maybe not. 

Charles - Tall. I remember his front teeth being large. He was slightly darker complected, sandy hair. I remember him being a friend when I was a student. This would not last as when I returned to the school a couple of years later for a gym class (my new school didn’t have a gym) he pushed me on the ice and chuckled when I fell. I remember sort of laughing and wondering if we were still friends. His eyes said we were not. He would proceed to be a member of the town-famous baseball team, the Colonels, and a chubby abrasive asshole in high school. 

Holly M - Do I remember this one right? I am pretty sure she was at Central but would have to check my class pictures, I might have her confused. She was tall, broad shoulders. Blonde. A bit awkward and gangly. I would never really know her better than early school which was little. She would grow up to be shy, quiet, and I think have kids early in her life. 

You know I doubt I have to list every classmate I remember despite trying to get my brain out of my body before I die. 

I also remember Troy Sampson and Tricia Burnette. Not sure of the spelling of her last name or if she was *definitely* at this school and not the other like Holly. They would end up getting married, Troy and Tricia, after dating for a long time (Jr high or high school at least) 

I remember the years I went to this school fondly. There are some classroom particulars and classmates that I need to extract of course. At this time and in my town there was still some separation going on. Boys and girls used different doors if I recall. I remember being behind the school one day. I think it was the only time I ever used the back doors that I found too close to the ground (not sure if that makes sense - they seemed small and tight). 

For the first two years of grade school, I went to Central. 

Central school is a couple of different colors in my mind, green and orange. It was definitely green at some point in its history. Not sure if Orange is my brain messing up or if it was real. 

I have trouble distinguishing between the two grades in my memories. I have little to no memories of Mrs. Patten, my grade 1 teacher, other than seeing her on Hickman St and at my Grandmothers funeral as an adult (which was shocking to me as in 1985 I thought she was a little old lady) 

Central School was oppressive looking and scary to me. A giant stone building with square blocky features, it’s paint job was pretty bad. 

It seemed to have doors on either side and then I believe there was a couple around the back where students would also enter. The picture I will share features the door I most remember using. 

I am not sure if I remember my mom walking me to school and me crying. I mean I do remember it sort of but I am not sure if it’s real. I have a recollection of approaching the school with my mother and feeling fear. Don’t leave me. Who are all these people?