Elementary school in the 1960s and 70s taught the basics needed to begin one’s education. This included arithmetic, geography, science, and history. We had music, art, and gym classes once or twice a week. I also remember having a health class that instructed us on proper hygiene, diet, and exercise (something I believe wholeheartedly they should bring back!)
I enjoyed them all, but reading was my favorite. We learned the alphabet and how to combine those letters to make words. Then came Dick and Jane, who helped us string the words together to form simple sentences. Later, we learned the rules of grammar.
Learning to read was so exciting for me! I remember our second-grade teacher allowing us to read a book to the class. I chose one of my Little Golden Books about a princess whose title I no longer remember. I recall feeling proud standing at the front of the class and reading an entire book word for word.
My love for reading continues today, and I believe it ignited the passion for writing that I still have today.
My first experience with creative writing began in sixth grade when I entered junior high school and met my first male teacher. He taught Science, but must have been a closet wordsmith. Mr. S was a nice, easy-going guy with a salt-and-pepper military buzzcut.
He told us that we would spend the last twenty minutes of class on Fridays doing some creative writing with a prompt that he would provide. I had no clue what either thing was, and he said we’d talk more about it on Friday.
I was intrigued and looking forward to learning about this new type of writing.
As promised, he ended our Science lesson early the following Friday and told us to get a blank page from our tablets and a pencil ready on our desks.
After the sounds of books closing and shuffling papers in that warm September classroom, he walked to the blackboard and drew a tiny circle in white chalk, probably the size of a penny. We watched quietly as he filled it in.
He then laid the chalk on the tray and faced the class. As he dusted off his hands, he gave us our instructions.
“Now, write about what I’ve drawn on the board. You have ten minutes, and I want you to write whatever comes to mind when you look at this object. There are no right or wrong interpretations, just your imagination.”
We sat silently, a few of us shooting questioning looks at other classmates.
“It’s a small circle,” I thought. “What else is there to write?”
Seeing our hesitation, Mr. S. offered further ideas to help us get going, then said, “Remember, it can be anything you imagine.”
I don’t remember much beyond that, including what I wrote. After all, this occurred 53 years ago. What I do remember is loving Fridays in Science class and this new thing called creative writing.
Compared to the writing we’d been doing, this offered the freedom to compose whatever you could dream up! Until then, everything was mostly nonfiction: reports and projects on assigned topics that involved facts, figures, places, and people.
Let your imagination take you wherever you want to be. ~Bob Ross
However, creative writing allows you to imagine anything because there are no boundaries. We grew up on cartoons, fairy tales, and Aesop’s Fables. So, who better than a kid to dream up the improbable and impossible?
I wish I could remember more about those Fridays in Science class. However, I do recall that after we closed our books on the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world, we entered a different realm. It consisted of anything your heart desired or your brain could envision.
There, we imagined the most fantastical things and, through written words, brought them to life.
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I felt I was sitting in class with you. I hope we never lose our ability to imagine.
What a gift that teacher gave you all. 🫶🏻