If there was a hole in the desktop of every student desk when you attended elementary school that's a pretty good sign you are an oldtimer too.
We were never allowed to use the inkwells that were intended for the holes as far as I can recall.
If you had the experience of using fountain pens during your school years then it's easy to understand why that wasn't allowed.
Even when they upgraded from the old style foldup seat desks the hole was still there in the new models.
The nuns at St. Joseph's Catholic School where I received my early education would never accept a paper with inkblots on it.
Later cartridge fountain pens were only a very slight improvement. The early ballpoint pens could cause problems as well as I ruined several shirts while carrying one in my breast pocket.
I lost track of how many papers I had to redo because of those messy contraptions. I still feel as though the manufacturers should have shouldered some of the blame.
According to my uncle Al Kindla the nuns at St. Joseph's Catholic School used to teach violin and piano classes back when my Granddaddy Kindla and my uncle Phil Kindla attended.
As a kid I recall granddaddy bringing out a violin on a few occasions and just messing with it but never playing a tune.
Uncle Al said that granddaddy had been thrown from a mule and it messed up his wrists preventing him from playing.
I recall my uncle Phil telling me that he had won a penmanship award one time during his school days.
That art was still being stressed when I was in attendance too. I wasn't real good at it and remember the teacher had my friend Richard Dugosh who was a grade above me do some in-class tutoring.
There was an exercise of doing continuous circles all the way across a piece of paper which I never understood but he evidently had it down pat. I didn't get it then and I don't get it now.
Have you noticed that printing is now the norm? My handwriting nowadays could best be described as a hybrid.
Starting class every morning with the pledge of allegiance. Large alphabet letters across the top of the blackboards. The blackboards themselves.
Taking the blackboard erasers outside for cleaning by banging them against the rock walls. Large pull down maps. Singing and square dance lessons. Sweeping compound spread over the hardwood floors.
A kid-slinging merry-go-round and some of the biggest and baddest swingsets imaginable. Walking to school rain or shine. All gone forever except in loving memories of the past.
These are the memories I have of Growing Up In Bandera as I watch my great grandson doing school classes on a computer.
He is a bright kid and is doing great in school. I still feel a bit of sadness though. I wish every kid could experience the back in the day Bandera life I enjoyed.
