Preserving Connections
One man's gift for memories48 total reviews
Comment from Y. M. Roger
Well, now that is just an amazing story, Rachelle -- I've got small tears in my eyes and I wasn't even there!! :) ;) Gosh, small-town life I guess had it's pro's although, from a teenager's eyes, it was hell because everybody was in your business all the time.... but, you know, reading this here, I realize that - 30/40 years from now - a reunion such as this will be almost impossible. Why? Well, do you know that besides showing up in class, a student's relationship with their teachers has become very superficial as teachers just 'check boxes' these days to keep parents off their backs. So many of my friends who retired as soon as they could or are just finishing enough years to retire were/are 'literally' [that word has been so abused!!] just trying to avoid as much confrontation as possible... there's no involvement in the kids' lives like there used to be... of course, there's always the exception here and there, but overall it is so different for classroom teachers. Sigh.
This was so very well written, Rachelle -- you captured not only the attention of the disinterested reader but you painted a larger, more emotional picture to which everyone can relate!! ;) :) Wonderful! ;) Thanx for sharing and best of luck in the contest! ;) :) Yvette
reply by the author on 11-Jul-2022
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Well, now that is just an amazing story, Rachelle -- I've got small tears in my eyes and I wasn't even there!! :) ;) Gosh, small-town life I guess had it's pro's although, from a teenager's eyes, it was hell because everybody was in your business all the time.... but, you know, reading this here, I realize that - 30/40 years from now - a reunion such as this will be almost impossible. Why? Well, do you know that besides showing up in class, a student's relationship with their teachers has become very superficial as teachers just 'check boxes' these days to keep parents off their backs. So many of my friends who retired as soon as they could or are just finishing enough years to retire were/are 'literally' [that word has been so abused!!] just trying to avoid as much confrontation as possible... there's no involvement in the kids' lives like there used to be... of course, there's always the exception here and there, but overall it is so different for classroom teachers. Sigh.
This was so very well written, Rachelle -- you captured not only the attention of the disinterested reader but you painted a larger, more emotional picture to which everyone can relate!! ;) :) Wonderful! ;) Thanx for sharing and best of luck in the contest! ;) :) Yvette
Comment Written 17-Jul-2019
reply by the author on 11-Jul-2022
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I'm clearing out my Reviews inbox (yes, I am THAT level of OCD. So WHAT if that meant I had to respond to nearly forty people three years later!!!) Anyway, I do love this review, and I sure wish you were still on this site. It's substantially less without your presence, my sweet friend. xoxoxo
Comment from JudyE
How special was that night? I would have had tears in my eyes too. I wonder was the speaker aware of the magic he was weaving on that night? And you've portrayed the emotion of the evening so well. Who can resist being made to feel as if they really matter?
reply by the author on 11-Jul-2022
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How special was that night? I would have had tears in my eyes too. I wonder was the speaker aware of the magic he was weaving on that night? And you've portrayed the emotion of the evening so well. Who can resist being made to feel as if they really matter?
Comment Written 17-Jul-2019
reply by the author on 11-Jul-2022
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Hi, JudyE!!
I was on a three-year hiatus, and now I'm in the process of clearing out my Review inbox. Thank you for this really warm and wonderful one of yours. Very much appreciated.
I hope this finds you well and happy, still writing, and enjoying the beautiful summer days. xo
Comment from WalkerMan
Thank you for telling us how the thirty-fifth reunion of your husband's high school class of 1971 turned into a heartwarming and memorable event for all in attendance, as the old History teacher entertained far more effectively than the "class clown" likely would have. It is a nice coincidence that the event occurred in exactly the hundredth year after the town's renaming. Though I lived in other nearby suburbs for over three decades and had been to East Rochester many times for a variety of reasons, I never knew its interesting origin.
reply by the author on 17-Jul-2019
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Thank you for telling us how the thirty-fifth reunion of your husband's high school class of 1971 turned into a heartwarming and memorable event for all in attendance, as the old History teacher entertained far more effectively than the "class clown" likely would have. It is a nice coincidence that the event occurred in exactly the hundredth year after the town's renaming. Though I lived in other nearby suburbs for over three decades and had been to East Rochester many times for a variety of reasons, I never knew its interesting origin.
Comment Written 17-Jul-2019
reply by the author on 17-Jul-2019
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Thanks, Mike; I appreciate your lovely review, as well as the catch you made (ancestor/descendants). I appreciate your having my back. xo
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You are most welcome, Rachelle. I have just read your other reviews, and was pleased to see that old History teacher is still as sharp as ever. Very few people have that skill; and, indeed, at least part of it is deeply caring.
I see the correction, and will remove my comment about it. However, I think there is now an unnecessary line break between "are" and "even" in that sentence. -- Mike
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I don't know why it's doing that when it's not in Edit mode, so I don't know how to change it. Do you?
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Because it is invisible, all you can do is go back into the Editor to remove everything from "are" through "even" and then retype them as "are even" (with just one space in between). Then save it and view it again to be sure it got fixed properly.
Comment from Jerome Goldberg
Bravo - a well written, absorbing and heart warming story. My wife grew up in Herkimer, about 100 miles East on the Thruway. When we visit, I was always enchanted by the closeness of the small town. Unfortunately, as the years have gone by, the town has changed and there are not many of the old gang left.
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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Bravo - a well written, absorbing and heart warming story. My wife grew up in Herkimer, about 100 miles East on the Thruway. When we visit, I was always enchanted by the closeness of the small town. Unfortunately, as the years have gone by, the town has changed and there are not many of the old gang left.
Comment Written 16-Jul-2019
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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Yes, I know Herkimer. It's got to be hard to see such a difference when you visit. I'd hate that if it happened to ER.
Thanks for the nice review, Jerry. xo
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Sad! Very sad!
Comment from DonandVicki
A very touching moment , I can only imagine the feeling of community that was in the atmosphere during that evening. My graduation class consisted of 50, 25 boys and 25 girls, totally by chance.
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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A very touching moment , I can only imagine the feeling of community that was in the atmosphere during that evening. My graduation class consisted of 50, 25 boys and 25 girls, totally by chance.
Comment Written 16-Jul-2019
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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Oh, WOW!! That's amazing! 50/50 split!
And you're so right; the feeling of community was really special that night.
Thanks for this very nice review. xo
Comment from C. Gale Burnett
Rachelle, this story gave me goosebumps too. You are a great storyteller.
-I totally enjoyed the background information and history (past and present) you gave about East Rochester.
-You made me feel so sorry for the class comedian (the reunion emcee) ... poor guy (LOL).
-My favorite part? 'We were ensconced in the beauty and sanctity of the gift this teacher was bestowing, the gift that said, "You were special here. I paid attention to your life. You mattered to me, and you were an important part of this town."
-Through your skilled writing, I felt I could feel what you were feeling at your husband's reunion.
-your title and chosen artwork were perfection
This is an excellent contest entry!
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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Rachelle, this story gave me goosebumps too. You are a great storyteller.
-I totally enjoyed the background information and history (past and present) you gave about East Rochester.
-You made me feel so sorry for the class comedian (the reunion emcee) ... poor guy (LOL).
-My favorite part? 'We were ensconced in the beauty and sanctity of the gift this teacher was bestowing, the gift that said, "You were special here. I paid attention to your life. You mattered to me, and you were an important part of this town."
-Through your skilled writing, I felt I could feel what you were feeling at your husband's reunion.
-your title and chosen artwork were perfection
This is an excellent contest entry!
Comment Written 16-Jul-2019
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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Wow! What a wonderful, validating review, Gale! Thank you for such helpful, insightful feedback.
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My pleasure :)
Comment from LisaMay
I love this story... its magic lies in small details of familiarity and then the huge detail of that amazing teacher (an elderly one at that, so what a prodigious recall of memory), imparting a lesson in the importance of noticing and 'giving a shit'. That's what has the biggest impact on people's lives: that they matter enough to be noticed, and you have certainly made this story hang very well off that golden moment at the reunion. (What did he say about Bobby?)
I have noted quite a few items below. Please don't be put off by that. The story is wonderfully deserving of my 6.
This sounded odd to me: 'perfect moments of life'... I would say 'perfect moments in life'.
In this sentence: 'No, I discovered the night of the Reunion --comforting.' perhaps put 'it's' in front of 'comforting'. Then it reads as No, it's comforting, which links better across the bit in the middle.
Perhaps it is unnecessary to have quote marks around the town names here: '...change the name of their town from "Despatch" to "East Rochester". I find the quote marks intrusive.
Change of punctuation suggestion (put comma after 'were' instead of 'residents'):
'Many of the residents were, in fact, related to each other.'
Add comma after 'myself' as the sentence is very long:
'...I've now taken up residence myself, is that to this day,...'
This is superb: 'Merlin of Memories completed his spell'
Change location of comma to inside the quote mark (it would be outside if it was in speech): "down the line",
There are a lot of items in quote marks (such as planned community, down the line etc.) To differentiate speech and these items, I suggest putting them in single quotes rather than double ones.
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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I love this story... its magic lies in small details of familiarity and then the huge detail of that amazing teacher (an elderly one at that, so what a prodigious recall of memory), imparting a lesson in the importance of noticing and 'giving a shit'. That's what has the biggest impact on people's lives: that they matter enough to be noticed, and you have certainly made this story hang very well off that golden moment at the reunion. (What did he say about Bobby?)
I have noted quite a few items below. Please don't be put off by that. The story is wonderfully deserving of my 6.
This sounded odd to me: 'perfect moments of life'... I would say 'perfect moments in life'.
In this sentence: 'No, I discovered the night of the Reunion --comforting.' perhaps put 'it's' in front of 'comforting'. Then it reads as No, it's comforting, which links better across the bit in the middle.
Perhaps it is unnecessary to have quote marks around the town names here: '...change the name of their town from "Despatch" to "East Rochester". I find the quote marks intrusive.
Change of punctuation suggestion (put comma after 'were' instead of 'residents'):
'Many of the residents were, in fact, related to each other.'
Add comma after 'myself' as the sentence is very long:
'...I've now taken up residence myself, is that to this day,...'
This is superb: 'Merlin of Memories completed his spell'
Change location of comma to inside the quote mark (it would be outside if it was in speech): "down the line",
There are a lot of items in quote marks (such as planned community, down the line etc.) To differentiate speech and these items, I suggest putting them in single quotes rather than double ones.
Comment Written 16-Jul-2019
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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Okay, thanks.
Comment from Gunner Lil
Great story.
Very good detail and I know you did a lot of
research.
The good days of being able to walk to school
and even down-town.
I would only change one thing- Paragraph 6 (?)
that starts "As you can--- delete second, Many of
the residents are related....
Great job- easy read.
Thank you!
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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Great story.
Very good detail and I know you did a lot of
research.
The good days of being able to walk to school
and even down-town.
I would only change one thing- Paragraph 6 (?)
that starts "As you can--- delete second, Many of
the residents are related....
Great job- easy read.
Thank you!
Comment Written 16-Jul-2019
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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Thanks very much for this, Gunner. I appreciate the feedback. xo
Comment from Jeffrey L. Michaux
This is amazing and is a witness to everyone knowing everyone else's business in a small town in a good way. What an awesome surprise the history teacher was. He is the prime example of a Superman or Superwoman that's a teacher. They not only are an amazing teacher, but, they know the students on a personal level. This is vintage Gold and I can see how you being an educator yourself was touched, and, everyone present was forever touched at this event. Fortunately, he saved the day because the other fellow that was suppose to be the MC got the dates wrong. How in the world could he get that wrong? I really enjoyed this awesome adventure at your husband's school reunion that you've shared with us. Well done!
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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This is amazing and is a witness to everyone knowing everyone else's business in a small town in a good way. What an awesome surprise the history teacher was. He is the prime example of a Superman or Superwoman that's a teacher. They not only are an amazing teacher, but, they know the students on a personal level. This is vintage Gold and I can see how you being an educator yourself was touched, and, everyone present was forever touched at this event. Fortunately, he saved the day because the other fellow that was suppose to be the MC got the dates wrong. How in the world could he get that wrong? I really enjoyed this awesome adventure at your husband's school reunion that you've shared with us. Well done!
Comment Written 16-Jul-2019
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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I like your take on it, Jeffrey --the good side of everyone knowing everyone else's business. Hahaha! That's great.
You're right about all of us being touched by what we experienced that night. Immensely special. (And we were ALL mystified about his having the wrong date!! Just CRAZY!) [But we were grateful!]
Thanks for the terrific review. xo
Comment from Mark Valentine
I love stories like this that highlight the sanctity of ordinary moments. And your narration is (this is a compliment, trust me) beautifully ordinary at the beginning, unpretentious, relating in a country-storyteller's way simple facts about the town and the night and then crescendoing to this sublime summation:"You were special here. I paid attention to your life. You mattered to me, and you were an important part of this town."
Who could want for more? You drill down to the kernel of important and oh-so inspiring truth from that night.
Rockwellesque.
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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I love stories like this that highlight the sanctity of ordinary moments. And your narration is (this is a compliment, trust me) beautifully ordinary at the beginning, unpretentious, relating in a country-storyteller's way simple facts about the town and the night and then crescendoing to this sublime summation:"You were special here. I paid attention to your life. You mattered to me, and you were an important part of this town."
Who could want for more? You drill down to the kernel of important and oh-so inspiring truth from that night.
Rockwellesque.
Comment Written 16-Jul-2019
reply by the author on 16-Jul-2019
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Your reviews have this same impact on me: they always get exactly, exactly what I'm trying to get across. Thank you for that. I absolutely love this review. Thank you. xo
