Last night I watched "The Breakfast Club" with Claire Danes, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, and Emilio Estevez. I have seen the movie before. Once, all the way through, and other times, I walked through the room while my kids were watching it. I must have been in a thoughtful mood because the pathos of the situation hit me hard. All of a sudden, I was back in school, facing all of those classmates with their very different personalities. Just like the students in detention, I felt the vulnerabilities that we all have, hiding deep in our psyches. I remembered the times when I felt humiliated for various things...not having expensive clothes, not having a winning personality, being a bookworm, being tongue-tied around boys that I liked...and I was suddenly that girl again. All of the old feelings came flooding back and I was sucked into the movie like I was part of it.
I knew all of the characters intimately. Every class has them. I thought of the people in my own class who were the people on the screen. The boy whose own homelife was so destructive that he had to bully others to make himself feel good. The nerdy kid who couldn't handle criticism or not being the best academically. The affluent girl who seemed to have everything but the love of her parents. The athlete who had to be the sports king to please his parents. The weird girl who hid behind her outrageous outfits and hair so her personality quirks didn't show. If I had to pick one of the personalities in the film, I was the nerdy kid. Being smart was an anchor around my neck. I wanted to be smart but I also wanted to be accepted for being that way. Most high school kids did not understand that.
So, I felt all of the emotions portrayed in the film. And what a film...just as important today as when it arrived in the '80's.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Friends
Some of my oldest friends are still my friends. I keep in touch with all of them regularly.
Pat...she would eventually become valedictiorian of our high school class. Pat studied all the time and was not really athletic. I guess you would call her a goodie-goodie. She always played by the rules and never did anything to jeopardize her status. I guess I liked her because she was my intellectual peer and we could talk about anything intelligently. We also competed against each other...it was a challenge to beat her at her own game.
Barb...Barb was my comic relief. Barb loved to laugh and we would spend hours chuckling over all kinds of things. I could be truly goofy with Barb...she knew how to make me laugh hysterically.We both loved the comedy shows of the mid-60's: Carol Burnett, Red Skelton, and Laugh-In! Every morning we would laugh hysterically remembering the jokes of the previous night. Barb was born in the USA of German parents who had moved to Adams after World War II. She was bilingual as her parents spoke German at home.
Fran: Pretty, Fran always had a boyfriend. She had older sisters and she always had a nice selection of clothes that she could borrow. Fran had her own style and I always envied her great clothes-sense. Her dad owned a dairy farm and she lived in a huge house on a hill. It was always fun to go and visit because there was so much room to roam.
Linda: One of six kids, she was the oldest and very responsible. Linda was a giggler and always easy to get along with. She was transplanted into my elementary school in the 6th grade because her class at another neighborhood school was overcrowded. We became friends very quickly.
Bev: My neighbor and confidant. She was a year older but we enjoyed many of the same friends and acquaintances. We played softball on the same team, rode bikes, and went to movies together. The second floor porch on her house was directly on a level with my second floor bedroom. In the summer we often had a string can phone line between the two houses over which we could try to converse. Bev and I also had a secret club for which we wrote a constitution, collected dues, and had a cryptic secret language. We left messages for each other in a hole in a big tree in the Hoosac St school yard. If found, no one could read the words without knowing the code.
Marilyn: Marilyn was my high school athletics buddy. She was a wiz at basketball and we both played together senior year on the girls basketball team. She was a "rover" and I was a "forward". Together we accounted for most of the team's scores. My senior year, 1969-1970, was a transition year for girls basketball. We played half of our games by girls rules (6-man ball) and half by the boys rules (5-man ball). Through Marilyn, I acquired a new set of friends, girls who had gone to Liberty St Elementary School. We were the girls sports editors of the Hi-Tension, the school newspaper, during our senior year. We thought it was unfair that girls received no recognition for sports so we wrote articles about our basketball games and sent them to the local newspaper. To our surprise, when there was room for them, they were published.
Pat...she would eventually become valedictiorian of our high school class. Pat studied all the time and was not really athletic. I guess you would call her a goodie-goodie. She always played by the rules and never did anything to jeopardize her status. I guess I liked her because she was my intellectual peer and we could talk about anything intelligently. We also competed against each other...it was a challenge to beat her at her own game.
Barb...Barb was my comic relief. Barb loved to laugh and we would spend hours chuckling over all kinds of things. I could be truly goofy with Barb...she knew how to make me laugh hysterically.We both loved the comedy shows of the mid-60's: Carol Burnett, Red Skelton, and Laugh-In! Every morning we would laugh hysterically remembering the jokes of the previous night. Barb was born in the USA of German parents who had moved to Adams after World War II. She was bilingual as her parents spoke German at home.
Fran: Pretty, Fran always had a boyfriend. She had older sisters and she always had a nice selection of clothes that she could borrow. Fran had her own style and I always envied her great clothes-sense. Her dad owned a dairy farm and she lived in a huge house on a hill. It was always fun to go and visit because there was so much room to roam.
Linda: One of six kids, she was the oldest and very responsible. Linda was a giggler and always easy to get along with. She was transplanted into my elementary school in the 6th grade because her class at another neighborhood school was overcrowded. We became friends very quickly.
Bev: My neighbor and confidant. She was a year older but we enjoyed many of the same friends and acquaintances. We played softball on the same team, rode bikes, and went to movies together. The second floor porch on her house was directly on a level with my second floor bedroom. In the summer we often had a string can phone line between the two houses over which we could try to converse. Bev and I also had a secret club for which we wrote a constitution, collected dues, and had a cryptic secret language. We left messages for each other in a hole in a big tree in the Hoosac St school yard. If found, no one could read the words without knowing the code.
Marilyn: Marilyn was my high school athletics buddy. She was a wiz at basketball and we both played together senior year on the girls basketball team. She was a "rover" and I was a "forward". Together we accounted for most of the team's scores. My senior year, 1969-1970, was a transition year for girls basketball. We played half of our games by girls rules (6-man ball) and half by the boys rules (5-man ball). Through Marilyn, I acquired a new set of friends, girls who had gone to Liberty St Elementary School. We were the girls sports editors of the Hi-Tension, the school newspaper, during our senior year. We thought it was unfair that girls received no recognition for sports so we wrote articles about our basketball games and sent them to the local newspaper. To our surprise, when there was room for them, they were published.
Views of Adams, MA
The Friends Meeting House in Adams, MA is a symbol of the first settlers of the town, the Quakers. Located high on the top of a hill, in what is now Maple St Cemetery, it stands preserved as a testimony to Quaker perseverance. Susan B Anthony was a parishioner here. I recently visited and was struck by the simplicity with which the Quakers led their lives. No frills. No decoration. The simplicity was strangely comforting. I enjoyed the feeling.
The quiet of the cemetery was uplifting and I was struck by the view of Mt Greylock that I saw before me. I have seen this view of the mountain so many times. However, the sky was a clear blue and the clarity was reflected in the details visible to the eye.
This photo was taken with the zoom, but it shows the most recent landslide and the war memorial at the top of the mountain. I thought about all of the times I had climbed the mountain as a teenager and the fun we had racing to the top. It was a tough climb on a path that wound its way through the trees and up a rocky ski trail, but the view from the top was worth it.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Growing Up Catholic and Polish
The Catholic Church in the 1950's and 1960's, from a kid point of view, was the place to which you went to be lectured on how to be a good person and to get the weekly dose of Latin. It was a scary place, one that our parents dragged us to every week, pulling us out of bed and making sure that we were dressed in our very best. Girls showed off their best dresses and coats...and the hat was an essential part of church attire. If you forgot your hat, a Kleenex affixed to the top of the head with a bobbypin would suffice.
We were parishioners of St Stanislaus Kostka Church, the Polish church on the corner of Hoosac and Summer Sts. St Stan's looked like a Cathedral both inside and out. There were beautiful stained glass windows, simulated marble columns, and wonderful statues. There was still an altar railing in those days and parishioners kneeled there to receive communion. The priest faced the altar and prayed the mass in Latin that one could barely hear. However, he usually made up for that at sermon time, when he spoke directly to the people and preached on how to be a good Catholic.
I was a church daydreamer, never concentrating on the task at hand and never sure I quite understood what was going on. It as more fun to check out the other people in church, to look at the latest fashions, and to think about other things.
Note: In 2009, the St Stanislaus Kostka Church was closed by the diocese of Springfield, MA. The parishioners were horrified that a church, in the black financially, with a working parochial school and convent, could be closed so quickly. The parishioners scrambled and locked themselves in the church to hold vigil until the Vatican could be petitioned for re-opening. After 3 years of holding vigil, the Vatican sided with the parishioners and allowed the church to reopen. I was at the closing and again, at the re-opening. The photos are from the re-opening mass.
We were parishioners of St Stanislaus Kostka Church, the Polish church on the corner of Hoosac and Summer Sts. St Stan's looked like a Cathedral both inside and out. There were beautiful stained glass windows, simulated marble columns, and wonderful statues. There was still an altar railing in those days and parishioners kneeled there to receive communion. The priest faced the altar and prayed the mass in Latin that one could barely hear. However, he usually made up for that at sermon time, when he spoke directly to the people and preached on how to be a good Catholic.
I was a church daydreamer, never concentrating on the task at hand and never sure I quite understood what was going on. It as more fun to check out the other people in church, to look at the latest fashions, and to think about other things.
Note: In 2009, the St Stanislaus Kostka Church was closed by the diocese of Springfield, MA. The parishioners were horrified that a church, in the black financially, with a working parochial school and convent, could be closed so quickly. The parishioners scrambled and locked themselves in the church to hold vigil until the Vatican could be petitioned for re-opening. After 3 years of holding vigil, the Vatican sided with the parishioners and allowed the church to reopen. I was at the closing and again, at the re-opening. The photos are from the re-opening mass.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Junior High...and coming of age in an era where men still ruled and women were mostly teachers, nurses, secretaries, and homemakers. My mom was a legal secretary for a busy lawyer in town. She spent her afternoons translating shorthand and typing various legal documents. Of course, she wasn't home in the afternoon when we came home from school. I had to babysit for my brothers and be there when they arrived home. So annoying. Bruce was a tease and did not enjoy taking orders from me. Paul was OK but he was the butt of most of Bruce's teasing. It was my job to keep them from fighting each other and to start dinner. Not fun...and it did nothing for my social life.
I walked to school every day with Pat and Barb, my elementary school friends. Every day we would meet at the corner of Hoosac and Summer Streets and we would walk the mile or so to the junior high. We would chat about the previous evening's TV shows and laugh all the way to school. Red Skelton and Carol Burnett were two of our favorite comedians; they made you laugh for an entire hour. Star Trek was also one of my favorite shows with Mr Spock and Captain Kirk!
As soon as we arrived at school, we stood outside and met up with other friends until the bell rang and we were allowed inside. We were all in different home rooms, arranged alphabetically according to last name.
In the 9th grade, newcomers from the Polish and French parochial schools arrived. They were kids whom perhaps we had seen only in church and with whom we made new friends. My cousin Kathy joined me in home room in the 9th grade. Although we had a good time playing at my grandmother's house, she did not extend that friendship to me once we were in school together. We were never in the same class. Kathy did not share my interest in being a good student. I did make many friends among the newcomers though and they became integrated into my high school class.
As a freshman, I became more interested in science than ever. My biology class was fascinating and I knew that this is where I would develop my interests.
I walked to school every day with Pat and Barb, my elementary school friends. Every day we would meet at the corner of Hoosac and Summer Streets and we would walk the mile or so to the junior high. We would chat about the previous evening's TV shows and laugh all the way to school. Red Skelton and Carol Burnett were two of our favorite comedians; they made you laugh for an entire hour. Star Trek was also one of my favorite shows with Mr Spock and Captain Kirk!
As soon as we arrived at school, we stood outside and met up with other friends until the bell rang and we were allowed inside. We were all in different home rooms, arranged alphabetically according to last name.
In the 9th grade, newcomers from the Polish and French parochial schools arrived. They were kids whom perhaps we had seen only in church and with whom we made new friends. My cousin Kathy joined me in home room in the 9th grade. Although we had a good time playing at my grandmother's house, she did not extend that friendship to me once we were in school together. We were never in the same class. Kathy did not share my interest in being a good student. I did make many friends among the newcomers though and they became integrated into my high school class.
As a freshman, I became more interested in science than ever. My biology class was fascinating and I knew that this is where I would develop my interests.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
As I said months ago, I was a fairly geeky junior high student who was more interested in doing my very best in school than in making friends with boys. It was fairly scary being placed into a class of kids who all had the same or better learning abilities as yourself. The competition was at a new level and, in order to excel, one really had to step up and make the effort. This was a huge difference from elementary school where I did not have to try hard to do well. It did take some time to acclimate to the new expectations.
Seventh grade science with Mrs Robinson was one of my biggest challenges. She was imposing and had a sharp voice, which she reserved for those students who weren't paying attention. It was in her class that I learned the phrase, "Do what you oughter, add acid to water." Good advice that I remember to this day. Eight grade science with Mr Belouin was more fun...and ninth grade biology with Mrs. Callahan was my favorite. I loved using the microscope in her class and I credit Mrs. Callahan with having the most influence on my decision to study microbiology in college. Dissecting frogs and worms was so much fun...ooh, that formaldehyde smell...so distinctive.
Mrs. Kalisz and Ms. Hoffman were my 7th and 8th grade history teachers. They were both strict disciplinarians and no one could get away with anything in their classes. Mrs. Kalisz was a good teacher but Ms Hoffman had been around since my mother had been in junior high and she was the master. There was one major project in her class and that was to keep a history notebook, full of your notes, in your best and neatest handwriting, but embellished with pictures, quotes, and other interesting tidbits. So...one had to scour published material for such tidbits. She expected it. Ms Hoffman also made us memorize...the Bill of Rights, the Gettysburg Address, the Preamble to the Constitution...all of which we had to recite to the class, with emphasis in all the right places. Ms Hoffman made sure we knew the stories behind the event of American history...she knew all the juicy particulars of many of the statesmen we studied.
Mr. Terry Coyne was my 9th grade world history teacher and...what can I say? He was young, funny, and he made us like him because he teased us, asked about our home lives, and prodded us into learning about Ashurbanipal III and Aknaton, Nefertiti, and Caesar. He was also a teacher who liked the real stories behind the historical people and he was fascinating because of that. My brother and I had him the same year for history, he in the 7th grade and I in the 9th...and Mr. Coyne teased us for being siblings.
Miss Paradysz was my other favorite teacher, for PE. She did all of the exercises with us, even though she was in her 50's. She liked to be in shape and she was amazing! We climbed ropes in the gym, played basketball, and ran miles. My favorite time of year was the spring, when we would walk to Russell Field with the softballs and bats, to play games in class.
The junior high did not have a kitchen to learn home ec, but we had a sewing room where we were taught to make various items. In the 7th grade, we made half aprons. It took the whole year before they were finished. Then, in the 8th grade, we made pajama bottoms and anything else that we wanted.
There were junior high dances, but I never went. It was my job to babysit my brothers after school because my mother worked in the afternoons. It was terrible to always have to walk home to be there when my brothers got home. So, I never had much of a social life after school. When it was time for the annual 9th grade dance, my friend Barbara and I were not asked to go by any of the young men. It was disappointing to see our friends go off to their first dance, while we were stuck at home We slept out in my back yard in the tent and had our own evening out.
Seventh grade science with Mrs Robinson was one of my biggest challenges. She was imposing and had a sharp voice, which she reserved for those students who weren't paying attention. It was in her class that I learned the phrase, "Do what you oughter, add acid to water." Good advice that I remember to this day. Eight grade science with Mr Belouin was more fun...and ninth grade biology with Mrs. Callahan was my favorite. I loved using the microscope in her class and I credit Mrs. Callahan with having the most influence on my decision to study microbiology in college. Dissecting frogs and worms was so much fun...ooh, that formaldehyde smell...so distinctive.
Mrs. Kalisz and Ms. Hoffman were my 7th and 8th grade history teachers. They were both strict disciplinarians and no one could get away with anything in their classes. Mrs. Kalisz was a good teacher but Ms Hoffman had been around since my mother had been in junior high and she was the master. There was one major project in her class and that was to keep a history notebook, full of your notes, in your best and neatest handwriting, but embellished with pictures, quotes, and other interesting tidbits. So...one had to scour published material for such tidbits. She expected it. Ms Hoffman also made us memorize...the Bill of Rights, the Gettysburg Address, the Preamble to the Constitution...all of which we had to recite to the class, with emphasis in all the right places. Ms Hoffman made sure we knew the stories behind the event of American history...she knew all the juicy particulars of many of the statesmen we studied.
Mr. Terry Coyne was my 9th grade world history teacher and...what can I say? He was young, funny, and he made us like him because he teased us, asked about our home lives, and prodded us into learning about Ashurbanipal III and Aknaton, Nefertiti, and Caesar. He was also a teacher who liked the real stories behind the historical people and he was fascinating because of that. My brother and I had him the same year for history, he in the 7th grade and I in the 9th...and Mr. Coyne teased us for being siblings.
Miss Paradysz was my other favorite teacher, for PE. She did all of the exercises with us, even though she was in her 50's. She liked to be in shape and she was amazing! We climbed ropes in the gym, played basketball, and ran miles. My favorite time of year was the spring, when we would walk to Russell Field with the softballs and bats, to play games in class.
The junior high did not have a kitchen to learn home ec, but we had a sewing room where we were taught to make various items. In the 7th grade, we made half aprons. It took the whole year before they were finished. Then, in the 8th grade, we made pajama bottoms and anything else that we wanted.
There were junior high dances, but I never went. It was my job to babysit my brothers after school because my mother worked in the afternoons. It was terrible to always have to walk home to be there when my brothers got home. So, I never had much of a social life after school. When it was time for the annual 9th grade dance, my friend Barbara and I were not asked to go by any of the young men. It was disappointing to see our friends go off to their first dance, while we were stuck at home We slept out in my back yard in the tent and had our own evening out.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Guilty!
Oh my! It has been months since I have written in this blog! Since I last wrote, I have been in touch with many old friends from high school and college through Facebook. Photos, memories, and new postings have managed to transport me to that long ago world.
I will try to recreate my junior high school years in the coming months and to be a more prolifc writer.
I will try to recreate my junior high school years in the coming months and to be a more prolifc writer.
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