Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Some late night thoughts

When I was out visiting my mom a couple of weeks ago, she commented that her house - the one where I grew up - is the only house on the block that has never been sold. Something I hadn't thought of. And when I mentioned it to Dad, he pointed out that the house to the south of us had never been sold either.

She also mentioned that she'd never lived alone. When my dad died, Donna was living there too. She said, "I lived with my parents until I got married. Then I lived with your dad. And now I live with Donna." I have never lived alone either - unless you count the 6 months in Grenoble when I had a room to myself in the dormitory at the university there. Not that I'm itching to live alone or anything!! Actually I was talking to a friend who has lived alone for 25 years - and she said she still sometimes feels sad about being alone. She said, "You'd think I'd be used to it."

I also thought about the "If you give a mouse a cookie" syndrome. I had one overly ripe banana - so I ended up mashing up two less than ripe bananas to have enough to make a loaf of banana bread. I'll let you know how it tastes. It does smell good baking.

I am impressed anew at how easy it is to forget what seem like essential details. At least they at one time seemed essential. I have been back in my classroom setting it up for Monday's start of school. I can't remember where I put anything!! (We have to pack up our rooms because they are used by other teachers for summer school.) And I need to remember my passwords, not just for the computer, but for the copy machine. Where is the safe place I wrote them down?? And where did I put the pencils??

Speaking of remembering, I continue to run into former students - whose faces are very familiar and whose personalities are engraved in my memory. But not their names!! The latest incident happened at the Street Fair last week. The young man said, "Hey Mrs. Terrill, do you remember me?" I asked him to refresh my memory with his name, which he did. Then he pointed out his infant son to me. And I said, "Are you old enough to have a child??" (He certainly didn't look old enough - nor did the proud little mother of the baby!) He said he was. I hope he was a student of mine 10 or 12 years ago!!

On this chipper note, I will sign off and go check on the banana bread.


2 comments:

Eliza said...

I had my own room from the time I was about 9 until I was 12. Other than that, I have never had my own room, and I have never lived alone.

I have wondered what that feels like--to live completely alone. I hope I don't have to find out, actually. Maybe someday I would like to know, but for now it sounds lonely.

fstephenson said...

We still own our home in Davis and it's the only one on the block that has never been sold!! We bought the house when Paul 3 weeks old. He is now 37!!!! It needs alot of work, but that will wait until next year when I move back to California