Memories

This morning I got up very early and found Prince 3 to accompany me on an errand. I chose him because he is the handiest of the three princes, and this job needed someone who can wield a hammer or a saw. We met a couple of friends and a dog and proceeded to a vacant, closed school - where I once taught for 19 years.

The place looks like a war zone now, but the memories within it are numerous. I went in search of a special one of my own - wanting of piece of dear old (Blank) high school for my very own.

My dad attended this high school and graduated in 1941. When I was first hired to teach there, I found it ironic that it already had a place in my history. My first day on the job - being an obedient and eager young thing at the time, I proceeded to decorate my classroom - and of course, put an appropriate educational theme on my vast bulletin board.

While placing paper on the board, I noticed the name TERRELL carved into the wall. That is my dad's name. Since this was before cell phones and even before phones in the classroom, I had to wait until I got home to call him and discuss it.

Sure enough, he did carve his name into the wall in that room way back when he was a student assigned to a boring study hall in that very same classroom, just after his shop class.

The old school is slated for demolition any day now. But I wanted just a piece of it before the walls come tumbling down - as well as a chance to be in that room one more time. I decided that the wrecking ball would not take my piece of history - nor will the school board miss that one piece of wall when the building is destroyed.

I am now the proud owner of my dad's carved name from the walls of his alma mater.