In middle school, I took a variety of classes, and I took my first Spanish class. I loved being able to learn how to speak a new language. I learned vocabulary words and how to conjugate verbs. It was the start of something that changed me forever.
I remember that I took Algebra and was challenged by my teacher; I loved Math.
Our school was across the street from the public library and every afternoon, there would be a gaggle of kids that would go over there and smoke. We non-smokers would go there to study. One time during our study group, our teammate Frankie made a Xerox of his face. We thought it was so funny until we got shushed by the librarians. In the eighth grade, I found out that I needed glasses. I was mortified; I was already different and now I would be MORE different.
I also recall that we had a presentation given to us by a survivor of the Holocaust. I was shocked to learn just how brutal humans could be to other humans. I went to the library to learn more about the Holocaust, and one of the books I picked out showed photos of women who were hanged by the Nazis. I felt sick to my stomach seeing those images.
On a separate note, and more positive note, I remember reading books to which you could pick the ending you wanted. So you wanted a funny ending, you would be directed to the page where the funny ending would begin. In all, there were, I believe four different endings.
Lynnhaven was the first school where we had lockers. We were given padlocks and had a certain amount of time to switch classes and visit our lockers before we could go to the next class. We felt so grown up.
In English class, we would spend time journaling each day and we had to do very difficult work out of a book that would ask very convoluted questions to see if you could infer from the reading. I wish I could remember what they were called, but I cannot.
In PE, since it was Virginia, we played field hockey. I loved it even if I wasn’t particularly good at it. Our track was visible from the main road. We had to “dress out ” for PE which means we had to change into our PE gear in the locker room.
Our PE teachers were also our Health teachers, and I had my mom, the nurse, as my “study director”. She would quiz me and she was not messing around!
My dad would take me into work with him on occasion, and I learned CAD, computer aided drafting. I had a bit of experience in computer programming that I forgot to mention during my elementary years, and I found CAD to be fascinating.
Virginia had one mall in my area, and we would go there to shop, to go to the movies, and to eat. There was an arcade in the mall, and we would play all the games. They had a game for Journey, the band. PAC-man was still around. I loved air hockey.
Life changing event 