It’s so nice to hear classmates remembering their pasts with fondness and warmth. It really touches me. No one had a perfect childhood, yet at our age we choose to remember the good and I believe that’s so healthy. I didn’t have the farm or the woods; I lived in town right across the street from the old Royersford Elementary School. And I loved it. I could go over and swing or slide anytime I wanted and my friends just lived around the corner. I got to play foursquare at the drop of a hat, was always able to run across the street to the library and if I couldn’t find a friend or neighbor to play hopscotch with me, well, I could do it myself and still have fun. I was adopted by my Gram and she was left a widow with me, a young 5 yr old granddaughter to rear. She was an amazing woman. Some of you might remember her. Even though I didn’t have a mother & father, my childhood was full of good remembrances as well. Gram wore the shoes of a mom, dad, grandmom & grandpa and she filled them well.
I remember playing in the backyard, pulling pranks on friends – remember those days, Kim? And practicing baton twirling as much as possible. Gram made sure I got to do the things that other kids did. I recall bike riding through the cloud of mosquito spray with all the town kids (of course today that wouldn’t be possible) and although now we know it wasn’t healthy – we kids LOVED it. (And we didn’t wear helmets either – just saying) I got to do sleepovers with my girlfriends and thought it was just the best thing ever! Nothing like a bunch of screeching little girls to make life worth living!
We used to walk the 3 blocks uptown to get penny candy at Allen’s on Main Street. That was a blast. I loved my candy – still do actually. I got to go swimming in the neighbor’s above ground pool and learned to help with pulling weeds out of the garden and not the young plants that would flower and make my Gram SO proud every year. My Nana lived with us until she passed when I was 12 and she was my “playmate” for many years. She’d play cards and always let me win. She’d sit out back and watch me twirl my baton and tell me how wonderful I was at it (I was mediocre, but I accepted her praise as gospel).
I remember in 5th grade, my teacher, Mrs. Fryer, chose me as one of the lucky ones to go to what I remember we called “Special Class.” I met kids from all the other schools in the Spring Ford District and it was just an awesome experience. Does anyone remember that? Being introduced to new kids like that made the transition from elementary school to junior high a much easier one for me. I was very fortunate. I loved school – everything about it. I didn’t consider myself nerdy back then….but now looking back I think I was.
There’s so much more I could write. But not to bore anyone – suffice it to say – I am VERY glad to be a part of this class and although we all don’t know each other as well as we perhaps could, we have a brilliant thing in common – WE are the class of ’73 with all its teachers, music, boyfriends, girlfriends, parties, homework, support, embarrassment, tears, laughter, sports, lockers, classes, etc., etc., etc…. We walked the same halls together for years and now that we’re older and don’t have that silly “click” thing going on anymore, we can look back and really appreciate all that we did and had. I am truly grateful. How many other classes have stayed/grown as close over the years? I don’t really know. But what I do know is that this class had and still has something special. I do pray that as we grow older, we continue to remember with affection the rest of "us" – and embrace the blessing.
Fondly, Dia (Galloway) Fell
P.S. Hope to see many of you at the get-together in a few weeks!
Very well done Dia. I enjoyed reading your stories. I always wondered what it was like actually growing up "in town." I can recall being just a little envious of those that could walk to and from school. I also remember Tom Yerrington talking about Allen's Store. He would bring in his Bat Man and Green Hornet cards to class. I recall not taking the bus home once and walking down Main Street to The Spot. A life that was lived a little differently than mine, but fun and simpler, just the same. This is great stuff and within the memory of those that lived a similar life in town. And so this is the beauty here. It is not so much that Dia grew up in town or that Craig and Abbey lived in the country, it's that our common shared memory was school. School was the glue that made these collective memories possible.
As with your story Dia, there was so much more to tell. I could have gone on forever about hanging out at Speck's and The Limerick Diner or the delights of Penny's Pizza or Miniature Golf at Waltzes. Thank you both for sharing with us your wonderful memories.See everyone in ten days.
Very Truly Yours, Craig Miller