MY HOME TOWN

I could not have asked for a better hometown to grow up in than A-Town, or better known as Aurora, Colorado. A-town is a suburb located north and south of Denver. In the late 1960's it was ripe with promise in the form of new businesses and subdivisions such as the one my parents chose to live in shortly before I was born. Our yard backed up to an empty field with a beautiful view of the mountains.

Growing up in the 1970' s was an innocent time in A-Town. We went to the same three neighborhood schools for elementary, middle, and high school. We walked to school without a care in the world except whether or not a pack of boys would be waiting behind the corner bush with rocks to pelt us with. People didn't move around as much back then. Therefore, I grew up with a group of classmates that I shared classrooms with from Kindergarten all the way to high school! That is a rare occasion nowadays. We knew nearly all of the neighbors on our block, and many throughout the neighborhood. When it came time to sell Girl Scout cookies, my parents let me go door to door throughout the neighborhood resulting in my high sales every year!

I am forever coming across those Facebook memes that talk about growing up in a time when the street light was your signal to hightail it home for dinner, or else. My brother and I had another reminder just in case. My dad had a unique whistle that could be heard no matter where we were in the neighborhood. That whistle was the topic of many dinnertime stories with relatives and always good for a laugh! I can still hear that whistle today providing me with fond memories now that he is gone. We didn't need cell phones back then either. Our bikes amidst the pile of kid's bikes in the front yard told the story of which house we were hanging out at.

Our elementary school was a magical place that was functional year round. During the school year, we still had three recesses and fun playground equipment used both during school and on weekends. Debra S. broke her arm in three places the during fourth grade on that equipment. Arts and crafts, parties, and movies were provided during the school year and in the summer. During the summer months, it was home to a recreation program whose plaster painting materials I can still vividly remember. At nights, Girl and Boy Scout memories were made. In the summer, the Bookmobile served as our library. I remember the thrill of being allowed to check out ten books at a time and trying to decide which book to read first.

Our middle school was two blocks farther but we were still able to walk there easily. The campus was outlined by a square sidewalk that equaled one mile if you walked or ran around it four times. My dad and I spent many long discussions and runs around that sidewalk. Walking to middle school was where my love for Saint Bernards was born. I was walking home from school one day, head down, engrossed in urgent, middle school thoughts, when suddenly, I was knocked to the ground. A massive dog was licking my face. When the dog let me up for air, I realized it was a momma dog with her puppies following behind her! If a new momma dog was this friendly instead of aggressively protecting her babies, I knew this was the dog for me! Later, I found out where momma and her babies lived. I visited them every school day for the rest of my middle school career. In fact, we knew nearly all of the dogs in the neighborhood by name, and they were always friendly enough to visit.

I went to the best high school in northern A-town at the time. The teachers, coaches, and administrators knew every student, and they were invested in the lives and well-being of the students, not just their test scores or grades. My dad was personal friends with the principal, and he was asked to do the woodworking for the awards cases. I believe they may still be there today. My dad also sold insurance to my social studies teacher.

I spent three, wonderful decades growing up in A-Town. I have countless memories in so many places in that town. We had the freedom to be kids back then. It was a special place that still had a small town feeling. Everyone knew everyone either directly or through someone else. I ended up spending my whole career working in the same district I went to schools in. My first Kindergarten teaching job was in the very elementary school I went to. The secretary and custodian were still there! A-Town offered a fairly safe, middle class upbringing that is hard to find now. People were accepting of those of different races. My street was mixed race. For the most part, people did not move just because a black family moved in. Many of my closest friends were black. One of them remembers his white neighbors taking him on camping trips with them. These are the nostalgic memories that make A-Town so special to me. The neighborhoods, cultures, and businesses have changed over time. The schools I went to are now considered "at risk". Crime has soared. Gangs are prevalent. The neighborhoods my friends and I grew up in are run down. Some of the houses have multiple families living in them. However, no matter the natural changes that my home town goes through, A-Town will always be in my heart.