A November to Remember

November 14 - Cherished Memory #14

Eighth Grade Graduation

I was at my old elementary school for a Holiday Boutique last night.  A couple of memories ago I posted about my experiences in Catholic school as a first grader.   At St. Roberts I went all the way from first through eighth grade.  Most of the kids went all the way through too, although there were some who came and went as there are in most schools.

Here is my eighth grade graduation picture:

I think I've come a long way since that second grade picture!  

So did the boys in our class!  Even though it was a co-ed school, it was still a Catholic school and up until about the 7th or 8th grade, the girls and the boys were kept separated from each other during recess.  Even at that, we weren't allowed to be together much.  I did have a crush on one guy in particular.  He was dark haired and handsome and really a nice guy actually.  We sat near each other in class sometimes.  It was kind of exciting therefore, when we had to start practicing for our 8th grade graduation dance!  I can remember going downstairs to the auditorium and having Sister Natalie try to teach us how to dance.  We had to pick partners and of course there were certain boys I REALLY wanted to dance with.  Some of the dances were square dances where there were several couples but we also learned the two-step!  

The guys were always a bit shy when it came time to pick partners and there were lots of girls in the class who were cuter and more popular than I (yes, really) so I didn't get to dance with "MY" guy very often.  Except the day that Sister told the boys to pick their partner for the first dance at graduation.  I was TOTALLY taken off guard when "THAT" boy asked me to be his partner!  Maybe it was because we were friendly in class and sometimes we walked home from school in the same group.  Maybe it was because I was a "safe" choice.  At any rate, I was on CLOUD 9!  All I could think about was that at the graduation dance, I would have the first dance with him.  

On that day, we were all on stage at first in the auditorium and our parents were in the crowd.  We sang some songs for them as a class.  I think one of them was "If I Had a Hammer."  Then it was time for us to dance the first dance.  I was in heaven, but it went by all too quickly.  I don't even remember what song it was, I just remember being very nervous.  All the girls took their shoes off - maybe because we were in higher heels than normal, I don't know.  

Can you pick out my crush?

After that first dance, we were supposed to go and dance with our parents.  I went to find my father to dance with and he took one look at my bare feet and said, "Go put you shoes on!  I'm not dancing with you without shoes!"  How humiliating (although I'm not sure anyone even noticed!).  Of course I put my shoes on and danced with my dad.  

I have not been in that auditorium since that night, until last night when I was there selling my crafts at a holiday boutique.  

That was 47 years ago!  The stage looks exactly the same.  The whole hall looks the same.  I don't even think they've painted it, but I'm pretty sure they must have.  In that room last night the memories of that graduation dance came flooding back.  I lost touch with a lot of the kids from our class because we separated into different high schools.  I wonder what ever happened to my special guy?  The class picture from my second grade got shared on Facebook by one of my classmates and I'm going to share this one too.  Maybe somehow we can connect with each other again.  50th reunion anyone?  That would be another cherished memory!!  

Hope you are all enjoying these little snippets of my life.  How about you?  Remember eighth grade graduation?  Have a crush?  Please share!