Saturday, September 29, 2007

In olden days...

Yesterday was Homecoming for PHS. There is quite an odd feeling about seeing 9 and 10 year old boys and girls in mums and garters - and while I shook my head in disbelief, I also know I made mums for my girls when they were that age. Somewhere, we've lost the total concept of what "Homecoming" is and stands for.
It made me remember my old mums from the late 60's and newly born 70's. Those gigantic, live mums that were the size of a dinner plate and only came in white. Their smell fills my mind right now - the one aspect not replicated in the new century. They were so beautiful in their simplicity; a green back medallion, a few ribbons with glittery letters and a pipe-cleaner "P" for the good-old high school. Picked up the day before, they were gorgeous until about 2nd period, where the petals began to turn brown from handling and some actually falling out leaving great holes. By game-time, some looked quite sad. Then, hung to the wall at home, they died a slow, memory-filled death.
I've been to Homecoming in Poteet I think once since I married. At our 10 year reunion, Cathy and I stood in the front of mom and dad's house, mums on our shoulders. We were beautiful, and so much smarter that in high school. To come back and see how lives have changed (or NOT!) is the real focus of Homecoming. To touch base with the past, and to focus on what that time really meant in the grand scheme of things.
To see those people who were so "IT" and are stuck in that time, to run across a favorite teacher and let them see that their faith in you was not misplaced. That's what the mum is really all about.

1 comment:

Jaci said...

ok so I know I know, I lead a sad life, what is a mum????? I saw the sign and kept meaning to look it up.