One Room School House

Excerpt from Daily Cures, Wisdom for Healthy Aging by Connie Mason Michaelis

My mom taught right out of high school in a one-room country schoolhouse.  She carried the firewood for the potbelly stove and started the fire to heat the building before the children arrived.  She told me that she wore her dad’s coveralls over her dress because it was cold, dirty work.  Then the president of the school board came to her and told her he felt it was inappropriate for a school teacher to wear pants, even if it was to do the early morning chores.  Although I’ve heard this story over and over, it still shocks me.  I was born in a different era when you might have told that school board president where to go!  I was fascinated when I heard the very same story from a woman I met.    She taught all 12 grades in a one-room school at the age of 17. Generations share common experiences.  It is also apparent that the younger generation may struggle to comprehend.

One of the beautiful things that happens in a senior community is seeing new friendships bloom and flourish.  Complete strangers can connect and bond over lunch.  Why?  Because they share a common history and their life experiences are grounded in the same historical time.  They share stories about the war, the great depression, seeing their first airplane, buying gasoline for 10 cents a gallon, and a new car for $600.  One of my pleasures is watching the midmorning coffee klatch.  They talk for hours, listening, laughing, and frequently bemoaning the current conditions of the world.  The men’s breakfast group discusses various topics, including political and religious affairs.  Even though they don’t always agree, they share a common history, and a shared history can create community.

“It's good to be here. At 98, it's good to be anywhere.”  George Burns