Yes, it’s been several weeks since I have blogged, (BAD BAD Sonya). Yes, I am still exhausted from the “Day in the Life” blog from February 24th…. But that was over two months ago… no more excuses. I will blog. I like blogging and I love reading other creative peoples blogs.
So one of the things that I wanted to accomplish with my blog is to document and creatively write about things that happen with me directly, people I meet, experiences I live (or lived) and inspirations that I encounter.
So, I shall rewind fast in the time-machine of my memories or at least the documents that exist of some brain spark of yester-year. I was visiting my folks last night and my mother somehow surprised with this ratty old manila folder that had my name neatly written on the folder tab. Inside the folder was about two inches of really old looking documents, thin, once buff colored paper now tarnished a darker amber color. Extracted pages of studious memorandum that sported some juvenile scrawl that instantly rang a bell in my brain and took me back 30+ years. I was just handed my first five years of educational homework, report cards, progress statements, school programs and exposure notices from principals.
Elementary my dear…
I am one of those people that have this scary bizarre memory bank where I remember people, names, places and other random oddball data. My memory did one of those whilrly deals, if I can provide a visual, picture a series of clouds forming over my head preparing to tear the room apart with 100 MPH winds. I immediately remember snippets of the classroom, the smell of the classroom and of course…. THAT teacher. You know the teacher, the heavyset middle aged teacher that used to sneak M&M’s from her desk drawer thinking nobody ever saw her… I guess I shouldn’t sound so critical of her… I mean… heck… I was the one in the back of the room eating the minty white paste and thought no one saw me either.
I was truly fascinated at the level of the organization from the teachers and their memorandum to my parents back then, the neatly notated handwritted bits of criticism, of me, to my folks. Many notes like this, lots ad lots of notes like this.
Progress Report: Jr. First Grade. Mrs Taylor.
First of all, what the heck is Jr. First Grade? I actually attended Kindergarten the year before so I guess Jr. First was either that the school had too many classrooms and made up a grade, they had too many teachers and Mrs. Taylor needed the job (maybe not quite qualified for the unruly first graders?), or perhaps it was a experimental things for student with birthdays that landed in the summertime and we were basic misfits? Who knows?
As I peer over this “Pupil Progress Report” I see that the use of the word “Pupil” is evident in many of the documents and I actually find this humorous. We were PUPILS, not students, child, children or even attendee. I see that I did pretty well in the areas of “Work Habits and Citizenship”, showing initiative and “Growth in Courtesy”, not bad in the general aspects of the necessary curriculum, but then there is the area for behavior. YIKES. For those out there that have known me since I was a little kid, knew that I was quite hyper and active, I suppose I could have been the poster child for ADD, but I do know that I was certainly not alone in that arena.
I will share with you some of the comments that my teacher described of me in my academics of Jr. First Grade: “Sonya could do better if she sit still long enough to do it. Sonya’s behavioral patter is still very erratic, her attention span is so short that she does not utilize her skills. She is capable of much better school work that she is doing presently.
Hmmmmmm….
Okay, I was 5 or 6 at the time. No big deal. I had energy and LOTS of it. I had this overactive creative imagination that seemed to be in overdrive. Heck I ate paste and had a crush on Bobby Glass…. Maybe the class was just plain boring and I had other things on my agenda. As far as the behavior, I wasn’t that bad and I know this because the legend at this school was that the Principal had a huge paddle in his office for the kids that misbehaved, there was no way I was going to partake in that!
So, I continue to read and see my fathers notes, eloquently scribed on the “Pupil Report”: “We have gone over these area of concern with Sonya. Please keep us advised”.
I have to admit that I am busting a rib of laughter with my mom at this time reading these “Sonya Chronicles” and have found these comments and perspective of me pretty darn funny. These are funny because it’s great to know that I wasn’t a pain in the rear forever for my parents to have to deal with, but there is there are tidbits of these funny traces of hyperness and wild imagination that I still have surfacing to this day.
Yes, I STILL don’t sit still, I STILL get sidetracked, I still twirl my hand in my hair when bored, however – I like to think that my behavior/demeanor has leveled (LOL). ‘
I am focused. I have managed to refine my organizational tools to expense the chaos into a well oiled machine. I am diligent on my quality to detail and I am sure that Mrs. Taylor would be pleased of this progression. This “pupil” sees eye to eye with the little girl of yesteryear and I am sure that in another 40+ years I shall read this blog to see where I have progressed in this timespan.
I hope to think that my progress report will contain more knowledge and wise statements written by some who knows me really, really well :o)
