Sunday, January 22, 2012

Back to the Future


When I graduated from Eastdale Collegiate and Vocational Institute in 1988 I stepped outside the school's front doors and took the first steps to my future.

Thursday night I stepped back inside those very same doors with my daughter. I wasn't there to say hello to a favourite teacher as most, if not all, would have retired by now. No, I was there because my daughter will be attending Eastdale next fall. Wow. Did I just write that last sentence? Let's try it again. My daughter will be attending Eastdale next year. Ahhhhhhh!

It's one thing to go back to your old high school and walk its halls reminiscing about your youth. The place hasn't changed much since the 80s. The lockers are the same, most of the classrooms haven't changed except for the desks and the school gymnasium looks identical except for the school colours. Eastdale used to sport brown and yellow colours. Now there's a lot of blue stripes throughout... almost reminds me of Donovan's colours if that old high school still existed.

Once I stopped gazing around at everything around me Rebekah and I made our way to the auditorium to participate in the Grade 9 Parent/Student Orientation. As I sat there listening to all the preparation today's Grade 8 students get prior to entering high school one thought flashed to the forefront of my mind -- kids these days have it so much easier than we did.

Not only have the Grade 8s already taken a tour of Eastdale but they've also been visited by students now at Eastdale who used to attend Coronation Public School, Rebekah's current institution of higher learning. In May they also must attend an all-day session at Eastdale and when they actually go to school for their first day next September they'll be the only students at the school. The Grades 10 through 12 don't attend until the following day.

I recall walking into Eastdale my first day back in 1983. It was a free-for-all, we didn't know where our classes were and I recall being overwhelmed by the crowded halls and mad scramble as everyone attempted to get where they had to be when the bell rang. Kids these days have it so easy!

At the same time though I sat there feeling a sense of relief for my daughter. Yes, it was a bit frantic entering high school in my day but did I really want my daughter feeling that much stress and anxiety on her first day? No way.

I have to give the guidance counsellors credit at Eastdale because they're making the transition from grade school to high school as seamless as possible. It makes me wonder what the guidance counsellors were doing in my day? Oh yah, I remember, NOTHING! If you attended Eastdale in the 80s or 90s let me know what your guidance counsellors were like. I'd be shocked if your experiences were different than my own.

But I digress. The kids these days should be in a better position when September 2012 rolls around. It will just be really strange having my daughter attend my old high school. Like I said before, when I closed the doors to Eastdale and moved on with my life I never expected life would eventually lead me back to those same doors!

All that was old is new again. Now only if I could still feather my hair!