Perspective - Day 3/ School

Question for this one was: What was school like for you growing up?

“It was hard. In thinking about school in Hawaii and school in Utah and they were totally different. In Hawaii school was much more relaxed. I think I had more confidence.

I was going into 4^th grade when we moved to Utah. I remember being happier in school in Hawaii. Moving here I felt very self conscious. I felt like everyone was staring at me. Probably because I was the new one and people were trying to get to know me.

It was harder here.

My teacher would yell a lot, it seemed. She got mad at me one time in front of everyone. That was embarrassing. I was more prone to day dream during class here.

In Hawaii you didn’t have to wear shoes to school. Utah was much more strict.

It was uncomfortable.

I think I became much more shy here in Utah. It was a weird thing for our family to move here. We were all caught off guard.

In Hawaii there weren’t the clicks. There weren’t the popular kids. Here there was. I always wanted to fit in with the clicks and the popular kids. There was a girl here named Catherine and I thought she was so cool, and she was the popular one. I wanted to be like her. I don’t remember feeling like that with anyone in Hawaii. I think because of that I felt more insecure. That went on through Junior High.

I remember introducing friends at school to the game “Go Water” that we used to play in Hawaii. It was sort of a version of tag.

I think people thought I was athletic because I was always the taller one. So in games at recess I was always one of the top picks for kick ball. I remember one time standing up there to kick; there was this kid I liked, Denny, he was the pitcher. I remember him telling everyone, “Ok guys, scoot back, scoot back”. That was a proud moment because obviously they thought I was going to kick that ball way out there.

I didn't like to run during PE. I remember saying I had asthma when we had to run the mile. I got out of it.

I was very fragile kid. I sprained my ankles several times. I was always falling off the trampoline, or burning my arm, and having to wear some sort of cast”.

Preschool - Hawaii 1981

Kindergarten - Hawaii 1982-1983

2nd Grade - Hawaii 1984-1985

6th Grade - Utah 1988-1989
Denny, the kid I liked, is standing on the row in front of me with a red and white striped shirt. Catherine, who I wanted to be like, is standing next to me on the end (top row on the right)