Memories

After reading I Remember... from Sioux's Page, I just couldn’t pass up the chance to write about my own memories. It was almost bittersweet to remember how much life has changed since I was a child.

· I remember my family going to Jones Beach in NY and I was scared of the huge waves. My father picked me up and held me safely in the water. I trusted him and never doubted that I was safe.

· I remember never locking our house or car doors. No one would steal anything that wasn’t theirs.

· I remember playing jump rope with my friends and learning all the wonderful little rhyming songs that went with this.

· I remember playing jacks and being so excited when I moved up a level past my friends.

· I remember being so excited when someone bought a new refrigerator because that meant the neighborhood kids were given the huge box to play with. We would pretend it was a castle or a fort or whatever we wanted at the time.

· I remember playing in the neighborhood and feeling safe. We didn’t worry about creeps kidnapping us or doing even worse. Our parents knew we were safe and if anyone misbehaved, any parent could scold any child. If you were scolded, you never went home whining about it or your parents would scold you again.

· I remember going to an ice cream parlor was a special occasion such as winning an award or doing well at a music recital.

· I remember when gas was 35 cents a gallon, mailing letters through the post office was how we connected with others, long distance phone calls were very rare and very expensive.

· I remember knowing that if I got in trouble at school, I would be in trouble again at home.

· I remember walking to elementary and jr. high school because we attended neighborhood schools. Teachers lived in the neighborhood and shopped at the same stores the students did. Teachers and parents talked when they saw each other in the community so parent/teacher conferences were not a big deal.

· I remember neighbors coming over for coffee and cake regularly. We would also have barbecues where neighbors were invited. We had an active community which supported each other.

I think this would be a great exercise to do with our students. Have them write about the memories they have now. Encourage them to put this in a safe place. Encourage them to add to it five or ten years from now. It may amaze them how much the world has changed in their lifetime. This would be a great topic for students to discuss with their parents to see how much their world has changed.

crossposted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: 'Untitled'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94729981@N00/3203717279 by: Leanne