Growing Up on Spruce Street
Aug 06 '00 (Updated Oct 15 '00)
Being a middle grade teacher, I am learning just how precious my childhood really was. I see so many various family situations among the students I teach, some glowingly wonderful, some decidedly dangerous. You have my permission to call me old-fashioned, but I wish every child could experience the wonders of being a kid in the same manner I did..
My family was not wealthy. Not in the least. In fact, I think there were some pretty lean times going on as I was growing up.. but I did not know it. Why? Because I was taught to be content, and especially thankful, for the things I had. I do remember my mother lovingly sewing some of my middle school wardrobe; I never remember being bothered by it in the least. Most importantly, I was encouraged to be active, to play, to learn, to discover. There was never a dull moment on Spruce Street in my little town in Arkansas..
I had the kind of childhood you'd likely see on a campy television show.. the 80's were my formative years, believe it or not, and they were great fun. So, here are some things I wish for my students.. and for my own children some day:
I wish you could spend hours outside in the back yard chasing lightning bugs. Catch them, put them in a jar with holes in the lid that mom made; but let them go in the morning so they don't die.
I wish you could climb the two massive tulip trees positioned in your front yard until you finally reach that highest stable limb. Scream loudly, then, for dad to look out the window. Wave furiously, but don't fall. When you're 20, cry uncontrollably when dad threatens to have them cut down. He was always a sucker for your tears. Those trees will remain.
I wish you could have the benefit of growing up on a lazy street that housed many children just about your age. Then you could join them in doing things like building stick houses that never actually withstood the slightest breeze, or running sack races in the empty lot, or playing red-light/green-light in the road (red-light: hide from oncoming cars, green-light: all clear). Perhaps you could all form a marching band for a parade, complete with plastic instruments, megaphone, and batons. Be sure to sing loudly enough to draw your neighbors to the windows. Even better, go gather all those rotten tomatoes from Mrs. Schleiser's garden and meet down by the ditch for a rousing game of "hit or be hit". When mom starts yelling about clothing stains from a block away, insist that you did not start it.
When it rains, I wish you could plummet down the mudslide you created (in your play clothes, please!) in the ditch behind your house. Never mind that this particular ditch wasn't the cleanest place on earth. Or maybe you'd like to catch some minnows with your tiny net you bought at Wal-Mart with the money you made from running errands for elderly Mrs. Allen across the street. Don't forget to take a bath before The Dukes of Hazzard comes on television, though. Who knows what kind of trouble Bo and Luke will be in tonight!
In the winter, I wish you could suit up for the snow and ride in thousands of circles on the 4-wheeler in the empty lot beside your house. You have to do this because your dad won't let you go anywhere on "that crazy machine" except in thousands of circles in the empty lot. Don't despair, next year he'll let you ride it to the store to get the neighbors' groceries when the snow is too deep. Just don't tell him you fell off when Clay revved up the engine a little too fast. Spit out the snow and tell Clay to slow down.
I wish you could bounce a ball over your roof to the other side, just so Justin could lob it back again. I wish you could race Clay from your house to his during Razorback basketball time-outs. Be sure to eat the popcorn that's popping in both dwellings. Don't hesitate to spend a Saturday afternoon outside learning Marnette's tap dance to a song from "Annie". You'll remember it for years and will be tempted to perform it whenever the song is played.
I wish you could make Christmas cards for all your neighbors and hand-deliver them. I wish your mom could teach you how to make the world's finest "cheesy apples". I wish you could whisper to your friends in the branches of the tulip trees, investigate strange noises down the block while your dad cooks burgers on the grill, and discover buried treasure (broken bottles) in the back yard.
I wish you could do all of those things, or things like them. If you could, you'd have one fantastic childhood. I sure did.
Thanks mom.. dad. I love you both. And hey, my Dukes of Hazzard General Lee Hot Wheels car is still in my toy box in my old room. Don't throw it away, okay?
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Epinions.com ID:
Teach2755
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Member: Lisa
Location: Jonesboro, AR
Reviews written: 95
Trusted by: 54 members
About Me:
I'm a half-crazed sixth grade teacher who's ready for summer. Enough said. :)
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