Memories From Sixth Grade

After mentioning my sixth-grade class trip to the State Capitol in yesterday's post, many memories of that event swept into my thoughts. Let's see, it would have taken place in May of 1970. My friends and I were totally excited about going. For the occasion, I sewed myself a new jumper to wear----out of blue print fabric. It buttoned at the shoulders with blue buttons and I wore a blue blouse with it. Lots of us girls sewed many of our clothes back then, often for 4-H projects. Things were different then----we didn't have computers, or cell phones, or DVD's. We read Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden books, passing them around from person to person. We could hardly wait to get the next one to read.

In the schoolbus on the way to Des Moines we played cards and sang silly songs. "Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall".......good grief......we sang all 99 verses! As if any of us were beer drinkers at that point in time. We took along snacks and sack lunches.

At the Capitol building we toured the grounds, looking at the various statues and taking lots of pictures. Lincoln and Tad was my favorite statue. Once inside the Capitol, we received the grand tour, even venturing all the way up to the cupola on top of the golden dome. I wonder if anyone is allowed up there anymore. Walking around up inside the dome made me feel whoozy, as I gazed wide-eyed at the dizzying view down to the basement level. We also toured the State Historical Building across the street.

Back to my sixth-grade attire......at some point during that school year, girls were allowed to wear pants or jeans for the first time ever at our small-town school. Can any girl nowadays imagine not being able to wear jeans to public school?! I remember the first pair of pants I wore to school......a red, navy and white striped denim pair. I was so proud of them----I thought they were really cool. Goodness! During grade school we had been allowed to bring pants to school to wear under our skirts and dresses at recess time, and we girls would usually wear shorts under our skirts anyway, so we could play comfortably at recess and not have to worry about boys seeing our underwear.

My kids stare at me like I'm from outer space when I tell them these types of stories from my growing up years! And my parents can tell truly amazing stories about living with no electricity and farming with horse-drawn equipment and riding streetcars in town. Each generation witnesses many changes!