monogodo

My family moved around a lot when I was young. When I say 'a lot,' I mean a lot. I went to 11 different schools between Kindergarten and HS Graduation. I spent 2nd grade in 3 different schools. I spent all 4 years of HS in one school. So, to be more accurate, I went to 11 different schools between Kindergarten and 9th grade.

Anyway, whenever we moved, I'd have to make new friends all over again. After a while, I just did my own thing, and let people come to me. I'm pretty sure it's the reason why I'm rather withdrawn in groups, unless I already know people.

I'm going somewhere with this, really.

We had just moved to a new city the summer between 3rd and 4th grade. Our house was in a good neighborhood: 2 blocks from the city pool, 3 blocks from the Elementary school, and 3 blocks from a park on the shores of a lake. My younger brother and I spent the summer swimming at the pool and playing in the park. When school started, we didn't know anyone other than the neighbor kid, who was a year older than I.

The school had a different way of putting kids in classes. They had 3 homeroom teachers upstairs, and each of them had a blend of students from 3rd, 4th, & 5th grades (the downstairs teachers had a blend of 1st, 2nd, & 3rd graders). Because of this, my brother and I were in the same homeroom. I don't really remember how the teacher managed to teach three different levels of the subjects to us, but she did. For some subjects, we'd split up into different groups, and join with the other classes in other rooms. Science was one of those classes.

After the first day of school, I walked the 3 blocks home and was playing in the living room. I happened to look out the window and saw two girls who were in my science class. Wanting to get to know more people, I ran to the front door, threw it open, and shouted through the screen door, "Hi, remember me from Science?"

They started laughing at me. The rest of that fall, whenever they'd pass our house, if they saw me they'd mockingly call out, "remember me from Science?"

Bitches.

It's now almost 30 years later. I live in a 2nd floor loft in the heart of Downtown Dallas. I work across the street from home, so I walk to/from work, and go home for lunch. Every now and then, I look out the window while eating my lunch, and I'll see someone I recognize from work. They're usually not anyone I've actually spoken with, just people I pass in the halls, or ride the elevator with. I have to fight the urge to run to the window, throw it open, and yell, "hi, remember me from work?"