Those were the days

Memories are made of this.

I read this article in the Gleaner dated December 15, 2007, it was penned by Hartley Neita. Let me state clearly, that I am not referencing the headline “We were Ladies and Gentlemen”, of that I am not at liberty to put myself in that vaulted level. When I read it, I was taken back to those days.

Please take the time to read the article.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20071215/cleisure/cleisure2.html

Boarders had to be seated before the master-on-duty entered the dining room for breakfast, lunch, 'tea' and supper, and stand with bowed heads for prayers. Those who were late found themselves locked out of the dining room. They had to eat in the tuck shop if they had money.

I was one of the boys in STGC boarding school (now long ago dismantled) that suffered the pain of going without supper because I was late. I couldn’t go to Father Fuchs and ask him to give me any of the monies that my parents had left with him, for me to get something at the tuck shop. That was unthinkable.

My parents were not rich, but in those days two shillings and sixpence went a long way. At the end of each term, I owed a few people a lot of 2 and six.

Although North Street was “just there”, we as borders could not be seen or thought to be seen, going out into North Street without a written permission.

Yes we had friendly rivalry (both in academics and sports) with our friends at KC, but we would never make the mistake of going over there without permission. The jeers we received for wearing our “washout blue and white” epaulets were hard to swallow, but you were NEVER allowed to remove them. The “blue and white” epauletes (in hindsight) was a proud symbol to wear, but what did we know in those times.

I was never the perfect student. Many times I was in detention because I sneaked out to visit some of the girls at Alpha, and invariably I got caught, and of course the girls also got punishment. Typical male testosterone, but what did I know then. I have since apologized to them later in life, and we all had a good laugh, but it was not funny at the time.

Our time was structured and regimented. Learning was the main focus, sports second.

Those were the days we thought would never end.