Friday, September 19, 2014

TALES FROM THE BAYOU: Step By Step







It's mornings like today that remind me of walking to school when I was a kid. We only had one car in the family and my mother didn't drive...not because she didn't want to but I think because that was one more responsibility she didn't want to add to her overloaded plate. 

So I walked. Everywhere.

I'd like to say the walk to school was at least a mile from my house and maybe it just seemed that long to a little kid toting a backpack full of books, but every morning I would head out and make my way through town to the elementary school. I never minded the walk because I LOVED to learn and it got me away from the house for a few hours. Despite the fact that I was incredibly shy, had no friends, and was constantly teased because I always managed to become the "teacher's pet", school was a sanctuary for me in those days.

Gueydan is an extremely tiny town, population around 1500...numbers which might actually include residents of the local cemetery...and nothing exciting ever seem to happen there. Except during the fifth grade when my elementary school burned to the ground.

I remember walking with my sister to school that day. Everything seemed normal until we got a couple of blocks away and we heard the siren from the firetruck. We were both shocked to finally get to the school to see smoke billowing out of the building as they tried to put the fire out that actually began in MY homeroom. The entire building was destroyed and we spent the rest of the school year attending classes on half days. Our high school building was located next door so I ended up going to school from 7:30 until around 11:30 each day and then Janet, being in ninth grade at the time, would have her classes from 11:30 until 3:30. It was a challenging school year until the new elementary building was completed but somehow we made it work.

Walking home the same way every day could become boring so I liked to change it up whenever I could. Mother expected me to get home quickly. If I took the longer route that cut through the park so I could sneak in a couple of twirls on the merry go round, I had to make up for it by running the rest of the way home.  Sometimes I would even start running straight from school to the park because that was where the library was and if I was lucky, I could sneak in and visit the books.

Even then books held a spell over me. I would dash in just to say hi to the librarian and maybe take a quick look at the newest arrivals so I could start dreaming of which book would I check out next. Then it was a mad dash to get home before Mother suspected I hadn't walked straight home like she expected me to.

I wonder what the kids I went to school with would think about me now that I am a children's book author? So many steps taken from those old school days to where I am now and yet I find all those steps STILL lead me to the one thing I've always loved more than anything else...books.

6 comments:

  1. I always enjoy your stories--thanks.

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    1. Awww, Belinda, thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you are enjoying my stories...only three months left of these tales...;~)

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  2. Not to contradict you, but I went to school the same time you did. I was tutoring grade school kids from noon until 3:30. Poops, but you will forgive me. You will, won't you?

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    1. Hahaha, Janet...I remember you tutoring the other kids but didn't realize it was during the morning...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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  3. Replies
    1. Hi Erik! I'm glad you like it...

      Thanks for stopping by and come back any time!

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