Memories of Elementary School

The first time I saw this comic I chuckled at the reaction of the young man getting the "shot."
The next time I looked at it I laughed as I could see the young man's comrades amused at the reaction of their buddy getting the "shot."
This morning I smiled at this picture as I remembered my own elementary school buddies and how carefree our lives were back then.

I'm reminded of playing football with Dan at recess in Colfax Washington during the 1st Grade and reading the book "Touchdown for Tommy." I remember laughing a lot.

I'm reminded of my eyes meeting "Karla's" eyes at the drinking fountain (my first time noticing the opposite sex) and being teased incessantly by Dan and my other buds in 2nd Grade (also in Colfax). I remember laughing a lot.

I'm reminded of sleep-overs and playing basketball early in the morning before school with Tim West and Joey Grant in Mrs. Barth's 3rd Grade class in Phoenix Arizona. I remember laughing a lot.

I'm reminded of the dark days of 4th grade, the year after my parents divorced. The school I attended in St, Anthony Idaho was very, very old and everything in my vision that year seemed dark and dreary and black and white. I remember being bitter because Mr. Leonard (my teacher) couldn't pronounce the words right in "Charlotte's Web." Mrs. Barth had read this book to us during my third grade year in Phoenix, so I KNEW how the words were supposed to be pronounced. Instead of saying "Mr Zuckerman" like Mrs. Barth, Mr. Leonard would say "Mr. Zookerman." When I pointed out to him that his pronunciation of this name was all wrong and that it needed to be pronounced "Mr. ZUCKerman" not "Mr. ZOOKerman" I was met with stares. From that moment on, every time he saw "Zuckerman" in the book he would stop and over annunciate "ZOOKerman" while looking at me up over his book. There was no laughing.

I'm reminded of moving into a new school (they tore the old one down) having a fantastic teacher (Mr. Weaver), being baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and playing and riding bikes with new friends: Chris Heintz, Brad Gothard, Mark Miller and Gary Paynter while in 5th Grade. I remember playing "king of the mountain" on the huge snow piles in the parking lot of the school. Things were in color again! I remember laughing a lot.

I'm reminded of my friends Paul Jensen and Kelly Coburn in in Mr. Howards 6th grade class in Sugar City Idaho and how the young men were divided into two classes: Cowboys and Cool-dudes. Guess what one I was!

In 7th grade there were no more recesses. No more "king of the mountian." Teachers no longer read us books like, "Charlotte's Web" "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," or "The Box-Car children." Kids started using tougher language. Some were experimenting. There was a realm of innocence that had been left behind from my elementary years. A time that I miss and look back fondly upon.