SCHOOL DAY CHRISTMAS In the late 1960s, 68 and 69 to be exact, we celebrated the holidays fully, without censure. We were in fifth and sixth grades. All my friends I had known since kindergarten at Bellemeade (beautiful meadow) School were happy to sing Christmas songs in the hallway outside the cafeteria. Jackie Bendall, Douglass Turner, Mike Tuck, Kenny Hunt, Steve Vaughn, Barry Iglehart, Elvin Burton, Steve Schutt, Cheryl Herndon, Delores Lane, Kathy Blankenship, Becky Shoemaker, Heidi Vandenherk, Sheila McFarlane, Susan Davidson and Robin Whitlow. They all were there. We all lived within a mile of school and walked to and from school every day for seven years until busing. In winter the bolder kids would cross the creek behind the ball field. In a field surrounded by trees was a small pond. When it froze over, they would skate across it like a scene from Charlie Brown. In the classroom we would cut out snowflakes and tape them to the windows. We, as a class, would decorate the entire classroom. We were kept warm by the ancient radiators beneath the towering windows. We made decorations and ornaments, and told stories about favorite Christmases. Always anticipated the once a year showing of Rudolph, Charlie Brown, The Grinch and later The Little Drummer Boy. We loved our school, we loved our teacher, Mrs Driscoll and we loved each other. Some of these students I would know till we graduated high school. My best friend Douglas Turner moved to Waynesboro when busing began. Cheryl Herndon became an airline stewardess and Robin Whitlow a model. They both traveled around the world. Heidi Vandenherks father worked on the Apollo space program that eventually sent men to the moon. Barry and Steve and I were the class eggheads. I havent seen or heard from any of them in 16 years now. I still remember sitting at my desk in a full classroom, all of us singing Jingle Bells and Hark the Herald Angels sing. From 1963 to 1976 they were a major part of my life. And in a way, although we have gone our separate ways, they still are.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 00:26:31 +0000