Now that I’ve been teaching for a few years, I’ve seen things come and go in education...as I am sure most educators have. One of the little “innocent” items that seems to have gotten lost in the years of high technology are those little trinkets we used to value so much, the Valentine’s Day cards from our classmates. I remember how important it was to not only make sure I had enough cards for every student in the class (this was the teacher’s admonition...to be honest there were a few students that I really didn’t want to exchange cards with, but from an adult’s viewpoint...I think she made the right decision!) but you also had to sit down and write down everyone’s name (and yours) on each card, but then write their name on the matching envelope. This was a major undertaking!

I remember walking to the bus stop and guarding those small vessels of tokens of appreciation (or reminders of “duty”!) and wondered how many cards I would receive. There was so much chatter on the bus on our way to Sunrise Drive Elementary in the morning, all about Valentine’s Day cards. Oh sure, there were some “meanies” on the bus who would taunt some kids about not going to be receiving any cards due to some ill-perceived issue that really didn’t exist. Then, arriving at class, we had to put our cards into our desks (remember those desks that the top would raise up or the ones that had the little cubbies welded onto the side legs?) and then we would wait...wait...wait for the time the teacher would give us the go ahead. It was usually after lunch, which would mean those little cards, our personal vestiges of caring would be foremost in our minds, which made concentrating on Math or Social Studies or Reading so challenging!

The most important aspect was finding out if the boy that you really liked, was going to give you a card. Also, there were some kids who’s parents must have had money, because their cards would have heart-shaped lollipops attached! Something additional to look forward to! Then the moment would arrive and we would get up and hand out our cards to one another. When you came back to your desk, you got to see how many cards you got, which made you believe you actually had so many friends! Sometimes, depending on the teacher and parents, we might have cupcakes with pink frosting and little heart candy on top as our snack (instead of the usual cookies and milk!) Often our teacher would hand out the little heart-shaped candies (with the writing on the top) to us in little paper cups. We could “use” these to deliver our own personal message...”You’re a cutie” “Want a Hug?” “You’re Sweet!” What a special treat and such a special day!

It certainly was a time of innocence and one that I believe many of our children have lost, with the advent of all the technology out there today. It does bring back a wonderful memory from my days in Sayville!

There is one other February memory that is stuck in my mind, and most likely anyone else who was alive during those years. One Sunday, in February 1964, while I was living at our home on Holly Drive, something occurred that affected our entire country. It was also an event that I have always been so happy to know in some small way, I was able to witness. Sunday evenings in our house was typically devoted to the Ed Sullivan Show, which was televised from New York City. After getting our pajama’s on to get ready for bed and of course school the following day, we settled down for a glimpse of something magical. That Sunday evening was different than all the other previous Sundays and my sister and I waited anxiously for the Sullivan show to get on, because we knew The Beatles were going to appear on a television show for the first time in the United States, and both of us were going to make sure we would be glued to our television set in our playroom downstairs to watch.

Ed Sullivan made his entrance to announce each guest, and I remember sitting Indian style getting ready to jump up whenever he was to announce their appearance. Oh it was filled with anxiety and you could hear the girls in the audience scream every so often which made you wondered if they were privy to something that you couldn’t see through the television set. It made the atmosphere so intense but also cosmically connected between Ed Sullivan’s studio and every television set that was tuned in as well. We didn’t even want to go to the bathroom for fear we would miss the very moment when the curtain would go up and they would be there! Right there….just 50 miles or so away from me!

Finally, when it felt as if no one could scream anymore or louder…..Ed Sullivan came out, made his announcement….”Tonight, right here on our stage, …..The Beatles!!!!” and the screaming commenced both at the studio and our home (to which our mother immediately told us to quiet down!) I know she thought it was silly, all the hype, screaming, dancing and such and she recalled similar incidents when Frank Sinatra came of age. But this was “our time”, our generation and a group that would change the sound of music for generations to come! They represented youth, change and something new and different that belonged to US! The Beatles were OURS and they were here to stay!