No fireworks needed!

[Bikeguy Joe]

Today I had my mind blown, no fuse, no powder, not a spark in sight.

I went back to the town where I grew up, because they always have a 4th celebration.

In the center of the town square is the old town hall, not used for anything but storage since I don't know when.

Well, they were burning the ribs, painting faces and doing the hay rides, and I walked over to the old town hall, and the door was unlocked.

Now, in 1967 I used to go to kindergarden in the upstairs. In 1968 they made room in the elementary school, and the kids went there from then on.

I told Mrs. Joe we were going exploring, and (strangely enough) she said "O.K. let's go".

We walked in, and I went straight for the upstairs. When we got there, IT WAS COMPLETELY UNCHANGED FROM 1967!!!! There was even the oak chair that we would have to sit in to wait our turn to use the bathroom, and I used to get my elbows stuck in the back of it, and get in trouble for that all the time.

The two little chalk boards were still there. The hardwood floor, the little chair/desks, even some old supplies! I got choked up, then overcome with dis-belief.

We spent a few minutes walking around, but by then I was kinda hazy and if I had my head together more, I bet I could have taken a couple of souvenirs...

It was about 120 degrees up there, and so we made our way down just in time to have a firemens auxiliary guy say- "hey! no one is supposed to be in there!"

We walked out and that made my day.....

Thanks for listening,
Joe

 

[azbill]

cool !!!
glad to hear you had the chance to do that
(it must have been quite the trip down memory lane )

 

[tooljunkie]

who would thing something like that would go unchanged for so many years.
cool you got to relive part of your past.

 

[Allen_Wrench]

Lucky man. They tore down my old grade school some time ago. I got somewhat choked up. I don't even know if any of my old teachers are still alive. Mansfield's been changing quite a bit over the years, for a small town. So many things remained unchanged for nearly the entire time I lived there. But nothing's forever.

 

[killercanuck]

Cool story Joe, good thing you didn't take anything but memories, would've been busted carrying out that chair

Some things change, its surprising what stays the same.

Sorry to hear about your old school Al.

 

[maciver02]

Today I had my mind blown, no fuse, no powder, not a spark in sight.

I went back to the town where I grew up, because they always have a 4th celebration.

In the center of the town square is the old town hall, not used for anything but storage since I don't know when.

Well, they were burning the ribs, painting faces and doing the hay rides, and I walked over to the old town hall, and the door was unlocked.

Now, in 1967 I used to go to kindergarden in the upstairs. In 1968 they made room in the elementary school, and the kids went there from then on.

I told Mrs. Joe we were going exploring, and (strangely enough) she said "O.K. let's go".

We walked in, and I went straight for the upstairs. When we got there, IT WAS COMPLETELY UNCHANGED FROM 1967!!!! There was even the oak chair that we would have to sit in to wait our turn to use the bathroom, and I used to get my elbows stuck in the back of it, and get in trouble for that all the time.

The two little chalk boards were still there. The hardwood floor, the little chair/desks, even some old supplies! I got choked up, then overcome with dis-belief.

We spent a few minutes walking around, but by then I was kinda hazy and if I had my head together more, I bet I could have taken a couple of souvenirs...

It was about 120 degrees up there, and so we made our way down just in time to have a firemens auxiliary guy say- "hey! no one is supposed to be in there!"

We walked out and that made my day.....

Thanks for listening,
Joe

I know exactly what you mean... I'm a few years younger than you (if you went to Kindergarten in 67' I'd put you at three years my senior), and I had a similar experience. I remember, as a child, I would spend time at the city library (in New Hampshire, a town with a population of 6,830 qualified as a "city"), and they'd let me go into the basement, and pour over thousands of photographs of the town, from the early 1800's, until present (which, at that time was the 70's). I loved seeing that wide, dirt main street, with horses & carriages alongside, it made me want to be back there. A few years back, I went back to the old town, and I was fortunate enough to be able to do the same... ah, the memories.