Wednesday's Words on a Friday

 

The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles. Sadly, Delores has now closed her blog forever due to other problems.

The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.

If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along to read it and add a few encouraging words.

This month the words/prompts are supplied by messymimi and can be found here

This week's words/prompts are: 

1. genuine 

2. dominate 

3. moving 

4. gold 

5. embark 

6. classroom 

and/or: 

1. bleed 

2. absent 

3. separate 

4. affair 

5. steep 

6. beginning

Here is my story: 

In the beginning, I'd had a genuine interest in school and learning. I watched as my older sister struggled to understand the printed words, despaired over simple arithmetic and knew I could do it easier. I'd already picked up her schoolbooks and read to her from them. My love affair with books was already well known. To me the grade one sums were easy.

 I couldn't wait to step into the classroom and embark on a lifetime of fun. Truthfully, I couldn't wait to step into a classroom and show off, thinking I would probably dominate the class.  Two years later, I had my chance. I was finally five. 

Finding myself in a room full of other five year olds, also capable of reading, writing their own names and able to do the simple sums, was a jolt to my ego. I'd been so smart at home! What had happened to me? I discovered much later that my older sister had been born with some brain damage and learning was incredibly hard for her, although she did progress.

Trying to stay at the top of the class was a steep learning curve for me, I was constantly challenged by my peers. And I didn't much like it. I had been used to everything coming to me easily. 

In spite of moving house several times, once even to a whole new town way up North, I continued to do well at school and was absent only rarely, with the usual childhood diseases, chicken pox, tonsillitis (strep throat). During this time my mother left us, taking my siblings, and for a while, my school career, which had shone like gold, took a nose dive. 

It didn't help that I still found the work too easy. I became lazy, doing only the work required, not volunteering  for anything else. Homework? Never done. Initially I had continued, but my dad had convinced me that it wasn't necessary. I knew he was wrong, but the lazy me won out. Until grade five. I began to take more interest in the lessons again, no longer acting up in class and in grade seven, I found the teacher who understood me.

She understood all children, knew her lessons and loved to teach. Grade seven was a breeze, even the homework got done. But then there was high school. Many more children, and much more challenging. A good study ethic was required. Research ability too. I had neither. I was astonished to find, at the end of year exams, that I had failed and was to repeat that year after the summer break. 

I buckled down and did better, being top of the class in end of term exams and passing into second year high school. But at the end of that year, when my dad announced that at age fifteen I was no longer legally required to attend school, I had no trouble separating myself from school life. 

I got a job, in  a different town and moved on with my life. But when I look back now, and think of all the chances I wasted or lost, my heart bleeds. However, I am still far too lazy to bother with learning now. 


Comments

  1. True story? I can't tell. But it's a shame all the same because getting an education is actually good for people but when you're young, who thinks that?

    Have a lovely day.

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    Replies
    1. lissa; yes, true story and you are right, when we are young who thinks that far ahead?

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  2. The world is a classroom, and we all are embarked on a journey to know what is genuine and what is not. Moving through our lives, reaching for gold, we often discover what we have is merely brass. If we are wise, in the end, what dominates our lives is precious, to be treasured.

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    Replies
    1. Debby; welcome to drifting. The world is a classroom of a different sort with real life lessons instead of book learning.

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  3. Oh River. I am pretty certain that this is a true tale, and a sad one too.
    I would dispute your laziness though - and that you are no longer learning. I am sure that both are untrue.

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    Replies
    1. Elephant's Child; yes, true story. I am lazy far more than I should be, the extra 3 million pounds hanging around my backside can testify to that. I agree I am still learning, but different lessons than one would get in school.

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  4. That is me now. I had to repeat term 7 and the doctor said he was right (I was the youngest and smallest, but I could jump on one leg etc, so they HAD to let me join - all my friends from kindy went and I didn´t want too loose them), had to start all over and... blablabla. I had so much energy and will power to start all over again after gotten my diploma, started at zero, got a great job and now... Maybe I´m just too old, exhausted....

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    Replies
    1. Iris Flavia; it seems funny to think that jumping on one leg allows you to get into school. I didn't get any diplomas at school, they don't give them for primary school and I didn't finish high school. I did get awards at work, but so did everyone else in the factory. I know that exhausted feeling.

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    2. Those were the 70´s 😉 You also needed to speak properly and other stuff, but that jumping was part of the test!

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  5. A true shame there weren't more teachers like that 7th grade one. The sky would have been the limit.

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    Replies
    1. Arkansas Patti; I had another teacher like her in high school, one year for science and the next year for mathematics. He even had the same surname although they weren't related. But by then I was 15 and never even thought to question my dad and continue at school. I know now why he wanted me to leave but that's not a story for here.

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  6. That a good use of those words River.
    Interesting about you and how one teaches made you motivated...

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    Replies
    1. Margaret D; thank you. Those two teachers motivated a whole classroom, not just me. For each of those years everyone enjoyed school.

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  7. When I taught the at-risk classes, I had some really bright students who were hampered by the attitudes of their parents, who didn't care if they ever graduated, had school clothes, or even came to school every day. Some have done well for themselves, others are now living their parents' lifestyles. Depends on the kid, and the drive inside them that can be revved-up by the right teacher.

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    1. Val; a lot of the problems stem from parents who don't care or don't see the value in learning, only in earning, like my dad, working and getting paid was more important in his view. If only I had known to fight to stay at school and get a better, higher paid job. But then, would I now have my 4 children and my blog?

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  8. Sometimes I think about opportunities lost but then I think of my kiddos and grandkids. If I had changed one thing in my journey I wouldn't have them and that is unfathomable. - Same with you, River. If you had changed one thing we wouldn't be reading all of your great posts! :) - I like to believe that God guides us on our journey and we are exactly where we need to be.

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    1. Magical Mystical Mimi; I agree with you, if I had done it differently I wouldn't have my wonderful children and grandchildren now. And I wouldn't be here in this flat to help out older neighbours.

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  9. It's so sad, but remember we all have new opportunities every day.

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  10. Depends on the subject how I fare in school. HIndsight is usual a lot better than foresight. Now I would of paid more attention.

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    1. Dora; I would have paid more attention too, but I ignored the French lessons because I hated it and the teacher too, that's what pulled my overall grades down. History wasn't much fun either, the teacher was dull and didn't raise any interest for her subject.

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