Elementary School

* I took a hiatus from continuing this "about me series" but here is more:

I liked school. I generally liked all of my teachers at Fillmore. There were a couple that I didn't care for but I was still an excellent student for all of them. After kindergarten, my parents got called in to talk to the principal. They wanted to skip me ahead to third grade. Third grade! My parents thought it over but decided I needed to stay with kids my own age. Therefore, I went to first grade like my classmates instead of skipping ahead. My school did have a program for gifted students though and I was pulled out of my regular class for more advanced studies in the library a few times a week. I loved the library. I loved the smell of the library. Books upon books... it was a wonderful place to be.

We all remember in elementary school that we had to go to PE and Music class. I generally liked music class and you guessed it, didn't like PE much. Not because I didn't like being active... but once again I was chubby, slow, and ran out of breath easily. I could never climb the rope, I couldn't do pull ups during physical fitness tests, and the mile was torture. Music was more fun, my teacher was a little frightening but I liked music. I liked learning about the different composers and will always remember around Halloween watching the slide show of the Dance of Death with Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens playing. I loved that song. To this day it brings back memories of that slide show.

Then one day in music class a woman named Mrs. Kendell came in and showed us different string instruments, told us about them, and let us hold them. That amazing woman changed my life that day. I was going to play the violin. I went home that night and told my parents. Mom told me that she and her sister had both played violin when they were younger and grandma still had their violin somewhere in her house. I was ecstatic.

They got the violin fixed up and I remember getting the first books/music for learning the violin. I.could.not.wait. That night after everyone went to bed, I got my violin out, got out my books, and started to teach myself. I stayed up half of the night trying to memorize fingering, learn the strings, learn the notes, how to hold everything..... it was all so exciting. I probably got about 4 hours of sleep that night but I didn't care. The next day was orchestra day.

I use the word "orchestra" but in reality it was 8 or 10 kids in a room learning string instruments. It was painfully dull and annoying that we weren't all child prodigies that could play the violin perfectly upon learning.... but that's OK. I still enjoyed learning, enjoyed practicing, and loved everything about the process of learning and instrument.

I always had friends in school. Kids were mean to me, but who doesn't get picked on for something in school? Bullies are everywhere and are so incredibly cruel. I got called fat, big, giant, etc. In 4th grade I had boobs. I had to get a bra and that was so uncomfortable and extremely embarrassing to be one of the only girls to have to wear a bra. Not to mention, I got my first period on Christmas Eve when I was 11. I didn't want to have all that happen to me.... but it did. So, it gave more fuel to the boys in school to pick on me even more. I really, truly tried not to let it all get to me and I never told my parents. I just dealt with it the only way I knew how. Food.

Food was my friend. I would get home from school and I'd finally be able to stay in my room, do homework, play, watch TV, read, play my violin.... and eat. Bags of popcorn, chips, candy, cookies, and soda. Food never judged me, never called me names, and it filled a void inside of me and gave me comfort. Then mom and dad would get home from work and dinner would be cooked and served. From the moment I got home from school until bed time. There was food, and I could never say no.