Awash with nostalgia...

I got in touch with my old primary school yesterday and told them what I was up to these days and would they be interested in a visit. I half expected to never hear back as has happened on other occasions when I have reached out the hand of writerly friendship. But I had a very friendly e-mail back within the hour saying my e-mail had been forwarded to the Principal who got in touch not long after to say yes they were interested. I am excited at the prospect of going back to my old school. I know, apart from the buildings, everything else will be different but my primary years were good ones. I have lots of happy memories - friendships, crushes, some very cool teachers, some of whom introduced me to some excellent books which I still re-read now, and thousands of little events which stay in my mind and may turn up in stories here and there - the sensible school shoes I hated, embarrassing moments, tricks we played, responsibilities we took on. How full of shiny potential we were back then. And now there's a new bunch of kids full of their own bright possibilities. Will any of them want to be writers? Its a thrilling thought. I don't remember ever being visited by an author through out my school years. Authors were distant and unreal and it took me a long time to get up the guts to say that was what i wanted to be, first to myself and then to the world at large. But I remember being transfixed listening to radio broadcasts of Greek myths and legends at school and being excited by having a new book to read - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Moon in the Cloud, Little House on the Prairie. So here's my chance to say that anyone can grow up to be a writer and an author, someone from a community, a school just like this. Or anything else they want to be for that matter. In the meantime I'll be dragging out some old school photos and going all nostalgic, wondering what my classmates are up to now. Its school reunion year this year at Mangere Central primary - I may just have to go!