Speaking of memory - Oh wait? Weren't we - I forget.
I graduated in June 1985 from the Catholic grade school I attended from midway thru first grade when we moved to the burbs of Chicago from Davenport, Iowa till 8th grade graduation. It's been 40 years.
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| My memory working in overdrive |
I kept in touch with my couple of friends from 8th grade for years, and now I'm only in touch with one of them. She does our taxes.
That grade school was in a swanky area. We weren't swanky people. My few friends and I were not accepted by the 'cool', preppy kids who flipped their Izod collars up even though we wore uniforms.
Anyway, I've been thinking - 40 years! Let's have a reunion. While making cookies the other night, (it's tailgate season, who's excited? Who wants to see Gumby on top of my car?) I decided to write down as many first and last names as I could recall from my 8th grade class. I came up with close to 80 of the roughly 100 kids. I have my yearbook, so I can cheat - but I'm waiting a few more days to see if I can think of a few more names.
Not sure I'll jump in and plan a reunion. I think it would be fun, especially since I no longer care what any of them think of me, and Izod is now sold at Kohls.
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Can anyone else remember people you went to school with if you haven't seen them in 40 years? Would you attend/or have you attended a grade school reunion? What was the status brand/thing when you were in grade school?
I would not go to a reunion, though I can remember names and faces for many kids from my elementary school grade. We had uniforms with blouses& Peyer Pan collar- no fancy polos allowed! However, in public high school , turned up collars ( more than one to be absolutely cool) were de rigueur. I was in junior high and high school when brands really took off: Jordanche, Gloria Vanderbuilt, Calvin Klein,.... i was nerdy though and could not care quite a lot a bout brands. Wed convince ourselves that we didn't need to pay to advertise something on our butts.
ReplyDeleteIn one English class. the popular, stylish girl said something about everyone owning a Forenza sweater, and I said what's that, and the English tracher broke out in laughter. Not everyone is obsessed with fashion, popular girl!!
mbmom11 - Your answer doesn't surprise me. OH, more than one turned up collar. Maybe it's menopause speaking, but that makes me hot to think about it. Agreed with you on the popular girl statement and I'm annoyed that the teacher laughed.
DeleteI am seriously impressed that you remember that many first and last names! You have a great memory!!
ReplyDeletejoymarie - My siblings think some of the things I remember from childhood never happened, but I feel like saying LOOK - I REMEMBER ALL THESE KIDS FROM GRADE SCHOOL, IT'S MY SUPER POWER.
DeleteI definitely remember the kids I went to grade school which is odd considering I went to three different grade schools. My grade school buildings no longer exist, not sure who'd put together a reunion. Status was plaid dresses or pants. Not sure why, but we considered plaid to be haute couture.
ReplyDeleteAlly - I went to half of first grade in Davenport and I remember a few kids but not their names. Impressive to remember kids after not being in school with them for 8 years straight. Plaid dresses and pants as haute couture - hilarious.
Delete"...and Izod is now sold at Kohl's"--I am literally laughing out loud at this! Oh, how the Mighty have fallen, right?
ReplyDeleteI was just like you (but much older) when these brands came out. I could not have cared less. I was shopping for value and remember when The Gap was the cheap brand for people who didn't want to spend the big bucks for Levi's with their little red tag and stitching on the pockets.
If I was tasked with remembering ANY kids from my class in junior high, I'd be in big trouble. Yes, I went to a large junior high, but I couldn't tell you but one kid from my homeroom!
Nance - the Mighty have fallen, well said, you! I'm glad you got a kick out of my Kohls notation. My aunt sent my sisters each an Izod polo shirt for their birthday and Mom asked for her ripper from her sewing basket. She ripped both of the izods off, saying "If they won't be your friend without an Izod then you don't need them as a friend." Ouch.
DeleteI found my grade school life stressful - I was lost as a lower class citizen, so maybe some of my memories are stuck because of the stress.
I am TERRIBLE at names and faces. My elementary school was very small, and my 6th grade class had 32 kids over two classrooms (it was the smallest "graduating" class in 50 or so years). I could name 75% of them, because we were together for seven years. But after that? No way. My high school class (my 30 Year Reunion should be next year, I won't be going), was like 330. I can't name more than 20% of them, and that's being generous.
ReplyDeleteSee - you don't sound terrible at names. Naming 75% is pretty good. I agree that it's because I was with them for 8 years. I have a couple names on my list and I'm not sure that kid graduated with us or moved away. I can also name a ton of girls from my high school (all girls' school).
DeleteLOL at I-zod being sold at Kohl's. You're hilarious, and you have an impressive memory! I hardly remember anyone from elementary school, much less High School.
ReplyDeleteI had ONE Izod shirt, and it must've been on clearance, as I never had any name-brand clothes. Or at least very few. I DID want to fit in, but never could. Member's Only jackets were the rage in High School, as were the Polo Shirts, and goodness, if I could remember the purses that everyone had. They were preppy, had wooden handles, and you could swap out the outer cloth to suit your outfit. I had the knockoff version. I'll look to see what they were called.
Found them!!! Bermuda Bags.
https://www.ebay.com/b/Bermuda-Bag-In-Vintage-Bags-Handbags-Cases/74962/bn_7023110062 '
Oh, and we had the Add-A-Bead necklaces. Do you remember those?
Suz - Izod at Kohls - when I saw that recently I felt somewhat vindicated after the years of torment. Girls were so mean in my grade school. so much entitlement before that was even vogue.
DeleteMy aunt sent my two sisters each an izod shirt for their bday. My mom asked for her ripper and ripped the logo off, while saying, "If they won't be your friend because you don't wear an alligator, then you don't want them as your friend when you do wear an alligator." or something. I still liked the shirt so I asked to borrow it anyway.
YES - I know all about Bermuda bags. I remember them. Both of my older sisters had one and our neighbor (the one who lives in Tampa now) made them theirs (she was beyond crafty - made the wooden handles and everything). I was dying for one, but I never got one even though my mom promised when i was older. I think they'd gone out of style by them. I missed all the good stuff.
I do not remember add a bead necklaces. I'm still not one for accessorizing. At one of those jewelry partied I admitted this and my friend asked me, Is there something you take for that or what? Nope, just naturally not interested. ;)
Fun challenge! It's only been 30 years since elementary school but I made a list and came up with 54 names out of 62 classmate. I'm missing two last names tho. I know one person switched to a private school and two others moved out of the district, but the rest of us went to Jr. high and high school together. We had a high school reunion but I've not heard of any of the elementary schools from back then (there were 5) having a reunion.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember what clothes were cool at the time, but I do recall mini-backpacks being the thing. I got one to take on a field trip, it was great for holding my Walkman.
You might be right about this being your shortest post!
Jenny in WV - Look at you. That's a good lot to remember too. I'm cracking up at your walkman fitting in your mini backpack. I don't remember mini backpacks but I believe you. I originally had this as the second half of another post and then I was like, ugh - too long.
DeleteYes Ernie this is a record setting brief post! I cannot believe how many names you recall from Grade 8 - you must have a great memory. Personally I have never gone to a school reunion, something I kind of regret but it’s not likely to happen at this stage of my life. My high school was about a mile from my home and it crossed into a very well to do area. Massive houses, kids had nicer cars than the teachers and of course dressed much better than me. This was before labels were big (at least I don’t remember brand names back then) so it wasn’t a huge issue.
ReplyDeletePat - I do think this is my briefest post. It didn't exactly break any records for number of comments, so maybe length doesn't matter? My grade school had a reunion before I was married - so like 30 years ago, I guess - our 10th. I think it would be fun to see people and some of those people, I'd probably ask them if they shop at Kohls now to get their damn izods. They were so uppity. We lived in a decent house but not in a pricey area and we drove quite a bit to get to the school. They were fancy folks.
DeleteI remember a lot of friends from grade school and am facebook friends with many of them. I've been to a few high school reunions but no grade school reunions. The summer before my senior year the band and drill team spent 3 weeks on busses, going from San Diego, CA to Calgary, Canada to take part in their Calgary Stampede. Ten years later I organized a reunion for all of us, at a local park. So many people came! It was amazing! Everyone brought their own food, and chairs. Took a group photo... it was so good to see everyone again. If you don't host it, I hope someone in your class does. You won't regret it!
ReplyDeleteCindy - Your bus trip reunion thing sounds amazing. I need to survive this weekend of tailgating and Curly's college application phase and then I might reach out to the school. they have a huge parish center and I wonder if we could gather there. I don't think I will regret it, agree with you there.
DeleteI can remember some of the people I went to junior high with, but not as many as you do- that's impressive!
ReplyDeleteKari - I always say my memory is both a blessing and a curse.
DeleteI remember most of my class of 300, but I remember my elementary school classmates even better. Levi's were very popular when I was in junior high and the popular thing to do was to rip off the tags off of people's butts. It was super annoying, to say the least. I went to my 10, 20, and 30 year reunions. The 40th was the second year of Covid and my daughter was due with grandchild #3, so I didn't attend since I was her only babysitter when she went into labor. I'm still sad I missed it, but my friends sent me pictures.
ReplyDeletebijoux - I've never heard of the ripping of the red tags off of Levis. Weird. There was a phase when I was in 6th grade of girls snapping other girls' bras. What? I dreaded going to school because I feared that. I'm sad you missed that reunion too. Such great attendance record for the previous years!
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