Saturday, October 6, 2012

It's been a while since I've been able to write anything down and post it here, but recently I've been reminiscing about the past and the changes I've both experienced and seen.

The schools back in Dearborn Heights, for instance. The middle school I attended had this large art room, and the teacher gave us a lot of leeway. He had this stereo at the back of the room, and the kids were allowed to play their own music on there as long as they got their work done. There was artwork of various Marvel Comics figures on the wall behind it: the Incredible Hulk next to the door, Wolverine right where the clock was, DC Comics' own Flash next to him... well-done works, too. The Genie from Disney's Aladdin was near where I typically sat, logos of various musicians, including White Zombie and (I think) Nirvana...

And then after the teacher retired (which was after I had moved on to high school, thank goodness), the new teacher had the walls repainted the same color on the basis of her belief that the stuff up there wasn't art (call me petty, but I still think that's rather jerk-ish of her).

Since I've left that school, all but one or two of the teachers that I've known there have either retired or moved on.

After I graduated from high school, some remodeling claimed the classroom where I used to help work on the school paper (contrary to what some in my graduating class might think, that picture of me in there does not depict me helping someone with the computer; the kid was browsing ESPN's website, and I was reading over his shoulder :D ), making room for a larger library and a curve in the hallway. The cafeteria was expanded, removing the senior courtyard where I used to watch kids play hackey-sack and occasionally kick the things onto the roof.

A lot of the teachers I've known there (and a few I didn't) have also flown the coop; one of them has since died, which saddens me because he was easily the funniest out of all of them. There was one occasion where in response to a kid's question he saluted him, shouted something in a fake German accent and shoved one of the desks halfway across the room for no real reason. Nowadays you have to pay some serious money to see that kind of entertainment in person.

As for me...well, let's just say I miss the days when I could gulp down bottles of Faygo soda or Mountain Dew and not have to worry about the aftereffects.



Time really does keep on slipping into the future...