Headbangers are back with Change

When I realized last week that my turn to choose the header challenge theme was here, it didn't take me long to come up with "Change." This is what I told the Headbangers crew:

Okay, let’s face it. Fall is here. I turned the heated seat on in the car yesterday morning—and the air conditioner on in the afternoon. We’ve thrown a quilt on the bed. Kids who were home for the summer are now back in school. We will start looking for the colors to come from the leaves instead of the flowers. The day and the night will soon be equal and then the darker hours will begin to dominate

Fall has only given me the suggestion for the theme. You don’t have to post something that is a seasonal change. Any kind of change. How will we interpret this one? Could be interesting and a little fun. 

Well, like I said, fall brought the idea, but I had no preconceived idea of what kind of change I was going to post.

I didn't know that that coming weekend I would experience what could also have fit the theme of the month before of "That was a Surprise!"

Throught the largesse of someone who had purchased a table, we attended the Central Washington Catholic Foundation dinner A Celebration of Faith. On the flyer for the dinner the speakers announced were Fr. Spitzer S.J., former president of Gonzaga University, and Bishop Joseph Tyson of the Diocese of Yakima.

On the program at the dinner was listed another speaker, a young woman from the area who is a senior at Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. That name struck me as totally familiar, but my memory has been dreadful for names and faces. Why did I know that name? Did I know that face in the picture in the program? Who was she?

When Sarah got up to speak, I knew.

But, you see, I taught mostly first grade. The lovely and brilliant young woman who is Sarah, I knew as a six year old.

Here is Sarah looking like she is taking the lead in
the group counting pennies.

There is Sarah at the back of the line
waiting for her turn at that piñata.

 

Look at that smile! Some things never change.

 Oh, her speech was brilliant, by the way, and the hugs later were even better.

 

Do you say good-by?

I just said "Bye" to the voice mail.

It made me think about a conversation the other day. I had been talking to a certain person on my phone, and suddenly realized that I was talking to the air. He has been better about it. It used to be that he never, ever ever said good-by on the phone.

It is a little weird to continue talking to oneself, but I suppose it does not appear to others as weird as it would be if you did not have a phone to your ear.

I was in an office with someone at the time, and said, "Oh, are you there?" then sighed and closed my phone. She looked at me quizzically. I told her, "He doesn't always say good-by before hanging up." She said, "you know, I think I used to do that, too. I finally realized that I need to and I try to make sure I do now."

Now these are people of two totally different generations, so it is not just a changing of the times. Where did they get the habit? Do you say good-by? Do you know someone who doesn't?

Bye!

More Things I Remember--(3)

A poem:

Little birdie in the sky,
Why you do that in my eye?

I no worry, I no cry.
I just glad that cows don't fly.

You don't have to guess what brought that back.

Things I remember (2)

When I was in seventh or eighth grade we did a school musical. It was the Pied Piper of Hamelin. I was one of the townspeople--the chorus. The script had a Town Crier who would run on stage every so often to announce " 'portant news!" about various things. Some were things to sort of nudge the progress of the plot. Others were comical asides about the rats or the town council.

Some of the Town Crier's messages were edited for local color. Some others were added.

The one that I remembered this morning was this:

" 'Portant news! 'portant news! The rats have eaten Father Bradley's trousers."

Maybe the label should be "Crazy things I remember." or possibly "Why'd I suddenly remember that?"

Things I Remember (1)

When I was in third grade, my dad would take me to school. We lived too close to ride the bus and too far to walk. Every day we got to school just behind Bus 3. The driver of Bus 3 gave me the nickname "Late Again."