I don’t have a very good memory, but I can remember a lot about kindergarten. I remember that I didn’t want to go. I remember getting upset when my mom dropped me off and left me with a bunch of strangers. I remember nap time. I remember waiting at the door for my mom to pick me up and take me back home. Noticing a pattern here? My mom still tells stories about how bad she felt for leaving me there because my teacher always told her that I threw a fit when she left.
The name of the school was Gilder Elementary in Omaha, Nebraska. It was located just a couple of blocks from where I lived and it was pretty new when I first started attending it. According to their website, the school opened in 1964. My first year there would have been 1971. The school was just one story, so it was long and spread out. The playground sat at the bottom of a huge hill. Back then, I really didn’t like the playground much because I didn’t like to get dirty.
By the time I was in second grade, I experience my first bully. His name was Dwayne and I hated him. He picked on me because I was overweight. The problem was, he was older and more filled out than I was. I finally got to the point where I was willing to fight him if that was what it took, but it never happened. He seemed to gain respect for me once I was willing to stick up for myself.
After second grade, my parents divorced and my mom moved my sister and I to a different neighborhood. I had to start all over at a different school, but I had an easier time there. I fit in better for some reason, so I was happy that I got the chance to change schools. While Gilder never really felt right to me, it became a permanent part of my history.
What do you remember about your first school?
