monday's mulling: back in the day

Who remembers doing this? I sure do and it was in the lunchroom that was also used as the gym at Dorothy Lane Elementary School. Not to brag, but I was good at it. I was one of the faster ones to pull myself up that rope, held on for dear life to ring the bell, and then slid down, finding that point to get down quickly but not get rope burns.

This was Dorothy Lane Elementary School where I attended 5th and 6th grade. It was the original Fairmont High School and is now the site of senior living apartments. Why was the school named Dorothy Lane? It was on a road named Dorothy Lane. Dorothy was the daughter of John Patterson, the founder of National Cash Register (NCR), and he sold the land to Van Buren Township (now the suburb of Kettering) to build a road. 

Back to Dorothy Lane days. At the end of the school year, there was 6th Grade Recognition Night, a farewell to the 6th graders as they left the comforts of elementary school and embarked on their junior high school journey. As one last assignment, each 6th grader had to write a poem about his or her Dorothy Lane experience. A committee would choose four students to recite their poems by memory on the stage in the auditorium in front of all the parents and classmates. I prayed that I my poem wouldn't be one of the chosen ones but it was. I was very quiet and shy and quite petrified having to do this. Bless my mom. She worked and worked and worked with me to memorize the poem.

6th Grade Recognition Night came, all the poets stood on the stage as we each recited our poem. My turn. Stage fright set in as I was blinded by the big light. I heard my mom's voice say the first line of the poem, "The corridors are still..." and then everything was fine. I recited my poem.

Here's what I can remember of it.

The corridors are still, the children have all gone home.

Only the memories of their voices remain

As night closes in on Dorothy Lane.

This school I shall long recall, with thoughts of joy and gladness

The teachers with their skills and knowledge

The friends who someday will be in college.

If the rooms could take and tell their thoughts

What would they think, what would they say?

Do you think they’d remember Carnival Day?

The lunchroom is most peoples’ favorite, 

For here our appetites are pleased.

Hamburgers, hot dogs, vegetables, and pies 

Are some of the things we get to try.

(There were a few more verses going through different rooms in the school but this is where the my memory stops.) 

The last line...and the biggest sigh of relief!

Good night, good night, dear Dorothy Lane.