UNcommon Sense - Nostalgia

She was born in 1938. A child of the great depression era. Today she is nearly 85 years old. Over her lifetime she demonstrated an unquestioning love for students. In fact, she was often very sad when the students weren't around and she would sit in the silence and dark looking forward to the days when they would return. She loved the arts and was always center stage any time there was a performance, whether it be a speech, dramas, musicals. Her pride was evident when students would overcome their fears of facing an audience and their talents were on full display.

I have strong memories of her. She was there when my friend Toby Patterson and I snuck into her basement to play even though we were told not to do so by his dad. She was there while I watched my brother under the direction of Mrs. Singleton and Mr. Taylor playing the role of Curly in the musical Oklahoma. She was there when I walked the halls as a nervous freshman trying to find my way in high school. She was there when I was hired as a teacher in Marlow in 1994. She even let me work out of one of her rooms and surrounded me with veteran teachers like HB and Coach Newby who helped get my teaching career started on the right foot. She was even there as my oldest son, Chisholm, performed on stage as part of the Marlow Speech and Drama program. In my lifetime, she has always been there and that makes her a special part of my memories of Marlow.

This fall, we will say goodbye to our beloved high school auditorium to make way for her replacement. It will be a sad day. I understand the emotions this will evoke in many people. The auditorium has served our district well for nearly 85 years. It has been a wonderful gathering place for learning, performances, and celebrations. It is a key part of our district's history.

But as we all know, nothing lasts forever in this world. Everything has a season. The season for our auditorium is about to come to an end. I want you to know, we are working on a plan to celebrate her life serving our students. Community members will be given an opportunity to tour the auditorium one last time. We plan to allow anyone who would like to get a brick from the building to do so.

We also are working to find a way to put a marker on the outside to celebrate how she bridged our district's history from the Depression era to the current era. I know for some this may seem like a lot to do for tearing down a building. I would say it is not "just a building". It is the place many of us have as a life marker for wonderful memories. I think it is important we honor that fact by giving those who want to do so the chance to say goodbye to her legacy so we can better welcome the future that will replace it.