Old friends...new stories........

So today we visited a few folks I hadn't seen for a while.

My "old" French/Algebra teacher from high school, who I had not seen in ohhh....45 years.
I only recently "found" her again when I hooked up with some old school friends through a Dutch website for schoolfriends.
Four years ago we had a reunion. This particular teacher wasn't able to come, and I didn't get the chance to meet her, but we started a sparse email correspondence.

So this time I made a point of connecting with her. My sister and I drove to her apartment and had a lovely two hour visit. Teacher did most of the talking. I found out many interesting things about her life.
People tend to be completely different from how you remember them, especially when so many years have passed.
But she was one of the teachers that managed to inspire me, even though at the time I wasn't impressed. I hated school, and my parents took me out of school when after 4 years it didn't look like I was ever going to finish.

But now I understand more of the dynamics of this teacher, and what impressed me about her.
She was/is a very independent lady. Was never married, had a 20 year relationship, but they did not share a house/life in the conventional way.
During my school years, she and the German teacher "went together" something that at the time was only rumored, but today was confirmed (FINALLY! Ha)
She did not marry this teacher because she had a dream, a goal for herself. She wanted to be a teacher, make a difference in young peoples' lives.

40 Some years ago, her attitude was pretty much unheard of. But she managed to live her dream. She still wishes she could teach, but her age is catching up with her.
She does have an interesting hobby, she now paints (modern acrylic stuff) and studies ancient and old hand writings, studies old hand written legal documents.
She is also very much interested in astronomy, and I marveled at her book collection.
She has a wicked sense of humor, something she claimed she always had, but as a young teenager I never noticed.
But somehwhere along the line she made an impression on me. Something pretty insignificant, but important to me nevertheless.

We had to write an essay, I'm not sure if there was a particular subject, but I wrote a story about my "date" with a boy to go skating in the Park.
Mind you, I was attentding a strict catholic girls school. Looking at boys would earn you a reputation of being a slut.
But my teacher read my story out loud in front of the class and when she got to the part about the boy friend, she stopped, raised on eyebrow, as if to say: hmmmmm... with a twinkle in her eye.
I have never forgotten that tiny gesture, it made me see her in a different way. She made an impression on me. She was human.
Little did I realize then how progressive she was for her time.

I have recently written her long letters about these little prescious nuggets in my life. I think she enjoyed reading my emails.
Meeting her today was like meeting an old friend. No longer teacher/student, but now friends/women, equals.
She was as interested in my life as I was of hers. I would have loved to have stayed all day. Could have listened to her for hours.
It amazes me how people come into your life, dissapear for ages, and then pop up again.

So to say today was a stellar day would be an understatement.

In the evening two of my old neighborhood friends came by. Only two years ago I met up with them again as well after a long long time.
One of these friends' mom died not too long ago. While cleaning out her Mom's house she found a box with letters. Aparently my friend and I did quite a bit of corresponding when we were little girls. The letters were hilareous. We read them out loud and laughed until we almost peed out pants.
Wow, what a trip!

It's probably my age, but at this stage in my life I am very interested in my past, and the people I've known. I want to see them again, find out what happened to them.
Sofar I have found a few, and the experience has been one of wonder, and delight.

Tomorrow, we will go and visit one of my favorite aunts and uncle. So, I'll leave y'all tonight by saying: goodnight, sleeptight, and think of an old friend today.

SGMKJ!