“Are you still friends with any of your classmates from grade school?”
I hope so but really don’t know… I went to Kindergarten at Erie Gardens in Port Clinton, Ohio and grade school at Jefferson Elementary in the same town. Middle school was on the same campus as my elementary school but in a much older building. Funny the desk we had for so many years, that I am now trying to get rid of was from my Middle School and I ate my lunch in desks just like it. During that time we identified into two groups, city kids and country kids. I was in the latter group and was very proud of that fact. We lived about seven miles from town and would ride the bus back and forth. You got to know everyone from the bus ride, everyone in Bay Township would ride the bus, I still remember the route and most of the kids names. The bus took the same route everyday and everyone had their friends who they would talk with on the way in to school. I started middle school in 1965 and this was the first time I could play football, wrestle and track. Practice was after school and since the bus had already taken everyone home after school we had to hitchhike home everyday. Mom and Dad both worked and could not pick us up, so if you wanted to do after school activities you had to find a way home. Most of the Country Kids did not do after school sports for that very reason. Sometime we would have to walk a while but most days we got rides. We never gave safety a second thought and always got home safely. I started High School in Port Clinton as well and that’s when my folks decided to move to Snyder, Oklahoma. My Dad worked the Job Corps at Wichita Wildlife Refuge as a heavy equipment instructor. It was not until Social Media started that I really was able to reach out to a lot of my former classmates and get up dates. So yes, I am still friends, I get some updates but most of my generation does not participate in Social Media and so the updates are spotty…
I have classmates from both Ohio and Oklahoma who are on Facebook and recently met with a high school buddy, Jeff Pierce for lunch. I have good memories of my younger years but this has not translated into life long close friendships. I don’t feel like I am missing a lot as my moving resulted in allowing me to see the world.
I believe my children and I will share this experience as they have moved many times in their lives, being military brats.
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