Wil Wheaton and the butterfly tree
I was just going through my feeds, and always save Wil Wheaton and Mark Cuban's blogs for last. Mark Cuban's is one I really enjoy, but takes a lot of concentration because of the topics he covers, and they sometimes get a bit long. Wil Wheaton has become my absolute favorite blogger, sorry Scoble.
I am not sure why I connect with Wil's blog, other than I think he is a fantastic writer. He is about the same age as I am, so I can relate to his references to things in his childhood, except all the comic book references (I never really had comic books other than the ones we read at school during silent reading).
Today, he posted this awesome, emotional, post about the butterfly tree in his first grade classroom. I related to it because my son is a first grader, and they have a "fish bowl" that serves the same function.
It also made me think of my first grade class at at Dora Moore in Denver.
I can remember Mrs. Ritter, a bit older of a teacher, probably in her 50's.
Playing four-square out on the tarmac.
Swinging on this big round, metal carousel looking thing, that on hot days we would have contests who could hang onto the longest without frying their hands.
The lunch room, where my favorite meal was turkey with mash potatoes that had this gravy with square chunks of turkey in it.
I remember always doing the pledge of allegiance when school started, and Teresa Love having to sit quietly while we did it because of her religion, to this day I am still unclear which religion prevents you from being patriotic. I can't remember many other names, but for some reason her's still sticks.
My fondest memory was actually walking to school each day with my friend Benji Clarkson. We played a game called PIG. The idea was when you come across a concrete square that has a stamp on it, that you have to jump across it, or you get a letter just like playing PIG in basketball.
I hadn't thought about 1st grade in a long time. And Wil's great writing took me back, thanks for the trip down memory lane.