The Jungle Gym

As far as I can remember noone ever died or had a catastrophic injury on the Jungle Gym in Elementary School. They were made of Iron Bars, could hold 100 kids at the same time without breaking and were firmly planted in rock hard ground trampled by thousands of feet. There was no cushion on the ground, no teachers to tell you not to rough house and was basically a free for all event.

If I remember right the boys jungle gym had one cube tower on top and the girls had two. There were separate ones in those days because little girls wore dresses to school.

We alternated the slide and merry-go-round between the boys and girls morning and afternoon.

My first day there I went down the slide during the girls time. I was quickly corrected and never made the same mistake again.

Remember Those School Plays

Sometimes things stick in our minds that we'd like to forget. I remember a couple of school plays. One I think was in the fourth grade. I played a pilgrim complete with black costume, cloth covered cardboard hat and shiny tin foil buckles on my shoes. I don't think I had any lines to say in this one. If I did it was probably "here come the Indians" or something like that.

But I guess the one I really hated was I think in the second grade. I played Humpty Dumpty. I stood on the stage with a cardboard egg on a wall in front of me and recited the "Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall..." nursery rhyme. I don't know why I was embarrassed, but I was just the same.

Besides reading a little ditty about the high school lunchroom at graduation assembly, my acting career had come to a close.

The Ride to State

Next year it will have been (are you setting down?) 45 years since since the 1965-66 Plano High School Wildcats took the road to the state AA football championship. It was a journey I imagine most of us remember fondly.

I watched a movie the other day entitled "Vantage Point" where the same story was told over and over but from the eyes and actions of different characters. It made me think about how life is the same way for all of us.

Each of us had a different view as the school headed to the state title. It was just the football team that enjoyed the trip. The band, cheerleaders, teachers and student body all were a part of this moment in our history.

Take time to share your memories from this time from your vantage point.

Revisiting Old Plano

What do you remember about places to go and things to do in the Plano in which we grew up? Share your thoughts. I've thrown a few in the first comment to get you thinking.

Summers in Plano

As I remember summers in a small town like Plano when we were growing up brought a lot of experiences that were fun to remember. Little League, the Texas shaped swimming pool, scrub ball games to name a few.

What are some of the stories you remember about summers in Plano in the 50's and 60's?

Junior High and High School Teachers

Tell us about your Junior High and High School teachers and what you remember. Feel free to come back and answer this as you remember different things that come up.

Who was your favorite? What was special about some of them? Which ones did you drive batty?

Any story or thought you want to share.

Don't be too hard on them they may read this.

In fact if any teachers read this feel free to comment on your students!!!

Elementary School Teachers

Tell us about your Elementary school teachers and what you remember. Feel free to come back and answer this as you remember different things that come up.

Who was your favorite? What was special about some of them? Which ones did you drive batty?

Any story or thought you want to share.

Be careful some may still read this and make you sit out recess!