School Days: Everyday Stories with Lifelong Impact
Think back to when you were in school. Do you remember how far you had to walk to get to school? Did you take a school bus or city transit?
In elementary school, my brother and I waited for the school bus at the top of a long driveway that led from our log home. The bus ride took close to an hour, even though we lived only 3-4 kilometres from our school. Only one bus served our small rural community, and it had to collect all the kids on what would normally be several routes.
When the weather was milder, we sometimes rode our bikes with friends, but the back roads were all loose gravel with steep ditches, and we had to watch for bears. The narrow highway was more direct, but it was often busy with logging trucks crossing the lake by ferry from the South Side, so it was even less safe to ride our bikes along.
Those hours on the bus were spent catching up with our friends, doing homework, or getting pulled into whatever trouble was happening in the back few rows of seats, but that was just part of growing up.
It’s often these stories that we don’t think to share with our kids, or even ask our parents about. But they’re still experiences that have shaped who we are today, and they’re worth asking about.
So Much Begins in School
Our school-age experiences often lay the foundation for our personalities, shape how we read social cues, and help us begin to understand the world around us.
In my earliest school years, a lot of things scared me. Like many kids, I experienced my share of bullying, some by teachers and some by other kids. Because of this bullying, I dreaded a few of the school events we were expected to participate in. We were a Kindergarten through Grade 7 school, and whoever came up with the idea for a Grade 7 Haunted House that would traumatize the younger students is beyond me.
Thinking back, I realize that my early school years made me a fighter because I quickly learned the world wasn’t always safe or fair. Of course, I have good memories too, and I had a few good teachers along the way. I also learned many life lessons early on, including how to face my fears, and that has shaped who I am today.
Many of us are shaped by our earliest school experiences, and sometimes the key to understanding someone in your family lies in these stories. In the early years and everyday experiences, we never think to ask about them.
The Teachers Who Shaped Us
Did you have a favourite teacher, or someone who inspired you?
It wasn't until high school that I met a few inspirational teachers who shaped how I view the world today. However, the most impactful teachers were those I met during my post-secondary education. Maybe it was because we were closer in age by then; they were more relatable, and they were the first teachers I saw as mentors.
In high school, I spent all my free periods in the darkroom. I was enrolled in a photography course, and although I enjoyed taking photos, I really connected with the discipline of processing my own film, using an enlarger, and printing my own photographs. The photography instructor also ran our school’s Chess Club, which I joined just to get more hours in the darkroom.
That high school experience led me to pursue a degree in photography, where I found the same satisfaction in processing film and printing photos. I also learned studio lighting techniques and other photography fundamentals. But after graduation, everything changed. Photography became digital, and slowly I lost my passion for it.
Eventually, I realized that what I enjoy most is the process and seeing a project through from beginning to end. That’s what led me to making books.
When we look back on our lives, we can connect the dots. In the same way, if we ask the right questions, we may better understand our parents’ and grandparents’ way of life: why they are the way they are or do the things they do.
So as your own kids or grandkids settle back into school, reach out to your relatives and ask them about their school-age experiences and how those stories shaped who they are today.