I’ve had a lot of first days at school, some of which I remember, some of which I don’t. Do you remember your very first day of school? Mom took a picture to mark the event and when I now look at it now, I can see that I looked nervous. I was a shy and backward child, so I am sure I must have been terrified. Yet, I have no memory of that day. In fact, I have no memory of grade one at all. And the only memory I have of grade two is fighting over Lego blocks with Jamie Lewis.
Elementary school for me is a bit of a blur. I remember random things about my teachers. Isabel Lewis stored her markers in a Pringles chip can. Frances MacAulay had a two tone pink sweater (Gladys King had one the same) and it was that sweater she wore the day a pen burst in her face and all over her clothes (some kids in the front row got it too).George Knox made us stand up straight and really sing the National Anthem every morning. Every year Mr. Coffin gave his students the finger – and we all waited with baited breath (what on earth he did that I can’t for the life of me remember). Mr. Sheppard, well, he was just the nicest teacher in the world – only to be rivalled by our music teacher Cathy Knox. For some reason it was cool to be in the alto section of the choir. I can still hear her saying to me, “Juanita, if you promise to actually sing, I will put you in the alto section.” I was shy – and used to just mouth the words for fear of going off key.
The pinnacle of my elementary school years would probably have to be my grade eight school trip to Louisburg. That was my first big trip and I was excited for the adventure. I did not want my Mother to go and still remember the anger I felt (and no doubt expressed) when I found out that other parents said they would not go unless she went – mostly because Mom is a nurse and they felt safer with her on board. One full day with a bus load of teenagers, however, resulted in Mom developing a first class migraine that she conquered by popping a gravol as soon as we got to Sydney Mines the first night of the trip. We could have torn the place apart for all she cared. Because the gravol knocked her out and she didn’t stay up half the night screaming at us to go to sleep like the other parents, I suddenly had a very cool Mom in the eyes of all my friends.
I also don’t remember my first day of high school but recall the general sense of dread that stayed with throughout all of grade nine. With high school came many new people - and I was still so very shy. I really didn’t say much at all that entire year, but I didn’t really have to. I was David’s sister, which meant people pretty much left me alone (unlike poor Jamie Lewis who ended up in garbage can his first week of school). David was in grade twelve so it also meant that all of the seniors were nice to me. David gave me money every time I asked him for it, which was pretty much every day. Grade nine would have been a much more difficult place to navigate without him.
Looking back, I stumbled through high school. I didn’t strive academically, in fact, in many ways I floundered. But I did enough – and I did the things you are supposed to do. I was on the student union executive, volunteered for EVERYTHING and was a member of gazillion committees all at the same time. Heck, I was even a peer education instructor, which looking back was probably not a good idea at all. I mean really? When you’re sixteen years old what do you know about anything – except that you are a mess most of the time but not willing to admit it.
The best part of high school was of course leaving high school. Rose Mary and my cousin Tammy led the class. Scott Dingwell was the Valedictorian. I gave the Salutation address at the beginning of my graduation ceremony and now cringe with the memory of the sappy speech I gave. The best part of all was the party at our house after my graduation ceremony. My family and extended family have always been very supportive at turning out for these milestone events. Even the Larkin kids I used to babysat came as I recall Mom saying they looked like the three Wiseman as the three of them marched into our house that night each with a gift in their hand. This past summer I reminisced in a card to my cousin Toddy that her and Aquinas have always been present at these events. For my high school graduation, they gave me a bottle of perfume and a pair of silver earrings. When I finished my graduate degree the gift had matured to a lovely piece of pottery and a calendar of half naked local male celebrities from the Annapolis Valley. Much to Toddy’s horror, it was the first gift I opened at that party...
I had a short stint at UPEI and a brief layover at The University of Dundee in Scotland before I planted myself at Acadia University in Nova Scotia’s beautiful Annapolis Valley. Before going, I had no idea where Acadia even was and had to phone the Ryans for directions. It was a hot humid day in the Valley on my first day at Acadia and I looked it in my Acadia ID card. Unlike my other previous first days of school, however, I was not nervous at Acadia. I loved the fact that I didn’t know anybody – except Ian who I met in Dundee the previous year – and of course my cousin Maura. It was Maura who introduced me to Acadia and inspired me to go (and let me store my stuff in her basement during the summer when I went home to PEI). Auntie Hoolie made the trek with me every fall, and Dad took me back after Christmas.
It was at Acadia that I met some really special people – many of whom remain my best friends to this day. Most were a positive influence on me academically and brought me out of my shell socially. If it wasn’t Krista persuading me to get involved in the History Society and organize floats for the homecoming parade, it was Marlene forcing me out of my comfort zone around every twist and turn just by being in her presence. Thesis year was an unexpectedly memorable year as it brought with a great deal of fun in three unexpected but fun filled friendships with Kenny, Crowtzie boy and Kim.
Unlike high school, I came into my own in my undergrad. I was no great academic but I discovered my love of History, Art History, Canadian Fiction and Women’s Studies. I had fantastic Professors who pushed and demanded more of me than at any other time in my life. Bottom line – they made me work. Two of these Professors later became friends. Acadia is such a special place – for those of who are fortunate enough to pass through its Valley home.
My final first day of school happened only five years ago. After being out of school for over ten years, I decided to test fate, turn my brain on, and return to school in my thirties for a graduate degree. I picked up stakes, moved to Toronto and rolled the dice. In retrospect, it was the best thing I could have done. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I needed the challenge badly. And I was back to being a nervous first grader. In class, I found myself surrounded by students ten years younger than me. Like Acadia, however, I met some really great people. I had great classmates, and some great Professors and mentors. Professor Baldwin, from my Acadia days, welcomed me into his family. Having survived being my thesis advisor at Acadia, Doug and his wife Patty invited me to live with them in Toronto. Little did they know it would take four years for me to leave their Baldwin fold completely.
This evening when I came home, I smiled when looking at my Cousin Maureen’s photo of her twins first day at Kindergarten. Today was also my little cousin Marianne’s first day at school on PEI. It made me start thinking about my first days at my various schools. I’ve spent twenty years in school – half my life to be precise. It’s been a long road, but I am glad for all I encountered and grateful for all the help I got along the way. It is my wish for these little ones starting school this week that they’ll have a great journey, have some great teachers and meet some fantastic people en route.
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