1979: 6th Grade Memories- The GATE Meeting and My First Real Crush

Episode 20 

1979: 6^th Grade Memories

The GATE Meeting and My First Real Crush

Sometime during the month of October, I'd just taken a seat in my 7th period class when the intercom came on. "We'd like for the following students to report to the library as soon as this announcement is over:" Then the voice continued to name the students who were to go to the library for God knows what. When I heard my name announced as one of the students, I thought, Oh Lord, what could this be about? I didn't feel like I was in trouble or anything like that, because they were calling out the names of the students who were in my advanced classes, but one could never be too sure. As soon as the intercom shut off, I got up and basically went next door to the library. There were a couple of women whom I didn't know standing there and they, after asking what my name was, motioned for me to sit at one of the long tables in front of them. I sat down and gradually other students started coming in and sitting down. Again, these were mostly my classmates who were in my advanced classes and who I had not gotten to know yet, and there were a few 7th graders also present. I sat there really being to myself and not really looking at or talking to anyone when something happened that would affect me for the rest of my years at Judson.

Before we get to that, let me state what the meeting was all about. The ladies, Mrs. Foster (one of my classmates' mother) and Mrs. Jackson (our librarian) explained to us that we were the first members of a program called the Gifted and Talented Enrichment program, or GATE, for short. To quote from our school newspaper at the time, "The purpose of GATE is to provide challenges and enrichment for participating students. To become a member of the GATE program, students must be recommended by their teachers, have above average scores in all areas, and possess a willingness to complete all projects. GATE students are currently studying ways to improve study habits, examining career opportunities, and are entering a writing contest (we are?). There are approximately 30 students involved in the GATE program (at the time)." Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. Motley, Mrs. E.J. Johnson, Mrs. Starr, Mrs. Henderson, and Mr. Parr were our sponsors. All of these teachers either taught math or English, or served in the capacity of a librarian or counselor. Obviously, I'd been recommended by my teachers (Mrs. Henderson and Mrs. Starr) due my grades for the 1st six weeks. I'd made all A's on my report card and 1 B. I wound up making the honor roll for the six weeks, and didn't even know what that actually meant at the time, since I'd never had that in elementary school. And now, here I am sitting in the first ever GATE meeting, and wondering if I belong in here or not. I looked around and saw more than a few blank faces, and I thought, well, at least I'm not the only one not sure what this is all about. Later on, once we started doing different activities and being introduced to new inventions and concepts (such as computers and VCRs), I really started appreciating being picked to be a part of GATE. In fact, one might say if not for GATE, I might not have ever come close to my future destiny.

More on that later. Let me get back to another major event in my life which occurred at this particular meeting. As I stated, I was sitting there minding my own business when someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind. I turned around and saw the prettiest girl I'd ever seen in my life up to that point. They say you instantly know it when you fall in love (or get a serious crush) with someone for the very first time (you see fireworks and you get hot and all that), and they're right- The first time I saw Angela, who was in the 7th grade at the time, I liked her a WHOLE lot. In the past, I liked a girl named Tracey when I was in kindergarten, and when I was in the first and second grades, I liked Deyavor, but those were me just being a little kid and liking them as friends. But THIS was different; this was more than just liking somebody- this was extremely being attracted to somebody to the point of being in love. I had never felt this way about any girl before and it caught me by surprise. I mean, I didn't go to school thinking, I'm going to find me a girlfriend or fall in love with the first person I see. I was still interested in sports, playing with toys, riding my bicycle, catching frogs, etc. And as far as girls went, I had never looked at any as anything other than friends (or enemies) or noticed their appearance. Angela changed all that. The very first thing I noticed about her was how pretty she was, how long her hair was, her cute face, pretty eyes, and nice smile. I'd never noticed those things about girls before then. Then after she tapped me on the shoulder and got my attention, she spoke in a friendly voice and said, "Hi Cedric. My mother knows your mother."

HOW did she know my name?? Who was she?? Who was her mother?? Where did she come from?? Why? What? How? So many questions- and so, after she said what she said and smiled at me, I did what I would mostly do for the next couple of years whenever I was around Angela: I'd turn red, smile like a fool, and mumble or say something stupid, or say nothing. Most of the time, anyway, that's what I’d do. This day in time I said something like, “okay”, and quickly turned back around sweating bullets. I wanted so bad to ask her her name, but I was too shy to even talk to her.

The rest of the meeting went by quickly, and I wasn’t too focused on what was being said by Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Jackson anyhow, considering I’d just met the girl of my dreams for the very first time. I couldn’t wait to get on the bus and ride home so I could ask my momma who this girl was whose mother she knew. But if only I had a name to go by! I thought I heard one of the kids call her Angela, but I wasn’t sure. For once, I was glad when the 3:30 bell rang, so I could go run and jump on the bus, which still was the consistent negative highlight of the day, but I just wanted to hurry up and get home.

Once I got home, I asked my mom rather casually did she know any of the mothers of my classmates or somebody close to me in age. “Well that depends on who you are talking about,” she said. Then I told her of the GATE meeting I had gone to and how the only other person who was my skin-color had tapped me on the shoulder and said that her mother knew my mother. I told her that I think her name is Angela. “Oh, I know who you are talking about,” Momma said. “You know her mother, too- She used to teach you.” I was like, Huh? The only people I could think of was Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Eckhardt, and I knew it couldn’t be one of them. My mom continued, “Mrs. Stanmore- don’t you remember Mrs. Stanmore who used to help teach you in the first grade?”

Mrs. Stanmore! I had totally forgotten about her! She and Mrs. Nelson (who ironically was the secretary at Judson at this time) were my teacher aides who used to help us when I was in the first grade at East Ward (Everhart). I remembered how pretty she was and I thought she was a teenager, if not a grown woman (because she was so young-looking). Which she obviously was back then since Angela was older than me. I almost couldn’t believe that Angela was her daughter, and that she also had a son who was in the same grade as my sister. I thought to myself, I can see where Angela got her looks from then. But I still wondered how did Angela know me and who I was, unless it was her mom who told her. Or could it have been someone else? Why did I react that way towards her? I’d never reacted like that before- Was this what they call, love at first sight?