I owe the social networking site Facebook major kudos for allowing me to get back in touch with two of my favorite elementary school friends, Amanda K. W. and Dustin Tramel. Amanda is in graduate school as a scientist. Since I also live in Florida now, I will seize a chance sometime soon to see her again. I fondly remember her mom, her house, her brother and the playground games we made up. She was my best friend for 2 main reasons: 1. She took me as I was and liked me for me, 2. She was so wicked SMART for only 7 years old! In a lot of ways, even though I adored her and was ecstatic she was my best friend, I was jealous of her quick intelligence--especially in math, my worst subject. I kept that a secret, of course. I would always be fond of her and never dislike her for this. It made me wish I could be so much more. I wanted so desperately to do well in all subjects in school, but that was never to be. It wasn't that I was lazy even though teachers and students thought I was. It was just that school took so much effort and life out of me to the point of breakdown and exhaustion which happened several times in my academic career. It's not that I'm not smart enough. It's just that the pace of school is grueling for me.
I found Dustin last night. I wasn't too sure if it was he, but I took a shot. And, boom, suddenly, there he was. He remembered the dance contest at my birthday party in 1989 when I turned 7. Dustin's desk was very close to mine in Mrs. Wallace's first grade class. I thought he was so cute. I had a tremendous crush on him because he was very smart and quick. He was always among the first to be done with his work and on to that SRA kit because there was nothing left for him to do that day. I loved to talk to him whenever I got the chance (seriously, a child doesn't get the chance to talk to others they like in the first grade--90% of the time, it's NO TALKING). I even got a yellow light (pretty bad) from Mrs. Wallace one week for talking. I was normally a very shy 6 year old and never wanted to cause any trouble in class. But, that day, Mrs. Wallace had told us, her class, that we would be watching the movie "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory" (1973), and that excited me beyond normal volume because I had seen it many times before and loved it. Dustin was sitting very close to me, so I had to talk to him about it. I did--too much. Mrs. Wallace shouted me down with "Miss Celia--BE QUIET!" and that was mortifying so I rarely talked that much again. But I had done it for Dustin because I liked him so very much. Was it worth that yellow? OH, YEAH!!! I'd probably do it again. It's rare you get your crush to talk to you like that--when they're just being themselves.
Dustin now lives in Oregon, has a wife, Katie, and two little girls. What a rush! I'm delighted for him! He's lived in several different places doing what appears to be mission work. He seems happy. I knew he could be anything he wanted to be with that mind of his, and he chose to help people with it. Sweet Dustin of the past certainly stayed sweet Dustin through the present.
And I, while I am not married and do not have children, will not say my life adventures have been any less than Amanda's or Dustin's. I have a beautiful boyfriend and sweet friends in Monica, Lisa, and Betty. Most importantly, I have a stable life now. That is all I could ever ask for.
I found Dustin last night. I wasn't too sure if it was he, but I took a shot. And, boom, suddenly, there he was. He remembered the dance contest at my birthday party in 1989 when I turned 7. Dustin's desk was very close to mine in Mrs. Wallace's first grade class. I thought he was so cute. I had a tremendous crush on him because he was very smart and quick. He was always among the first to be done with his work and on to that SRA kit because there was nothing left for him to do that day. I loved to talk to him whenever I got the chance (seriously, a child doesn't get the chance to talk to others they like in the first grade--90% of the time, it's NO TALKING). I even got a yellow light (pretty bad) from Mrs. Wallace one week for talking. I was normally a very shy 6 year old and never wanted to cause any trouble in class. But, that day, Mrs. Wallace had told us, her class, that we would be watching the movie "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory" (1973), and that excited me beyond normal volume because I had seen it many times before and loved it. Dustin was sitting very close to me, so I had to talk to him about it. I did--too much. Mrs. Wallace shouted me down with "Miss Celia--BE QUIET!" and that was mortifying so I rarely talked that much again. But I had done it for Dustin because I liked him so very much. Was it worth that yellow? OH, YEAH!!! I'd probably do it again. It's rare you get your crush to talk to you like that--when they're just being themselves.
Dustin now lives in Oregon, has a wife, Katie, and two little girls. What a rush! I'm delighted for him! He's lived in several different places doing what appears to be mission work. He seems happy. I knew he could be anything he wanted to be with that mind of his, and he chose to help people with it. Sweet Dustin of the past certainly stayed sweet Dustin through the present.
And I, while I am not married and do not have children, will not say my life adventures have been any less than Amanda's or Dustin's. I have a beautiful boyfriend and sweet friends in Monica, Lisa, and Betty. Most importantly, I have a stable life now. That is all I could ever ask for.
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