Recreation 1

Boston Free Library, Boston, New York

    During a few of the summers when I was in grade school, there was a program called Recreation. A regular school bus would pick us up and take us to either Boston Valley School or another elementary school further south in the town of Boston – the driver would go to both places – kids could get off at either one on any particular day. There were young adults there – I don't really remember there being more than one or two at a time – not teachers, more like recent college grads or maybe even college students.

     In the mornings we could go in the school to drop off our lunches, and I seem to recall games such as duck duck goose and who stole the cookies from the cookie jar that we played inside. But mostly we had to play outside. Aside from baseball, there was no organized play – we could do whatever we wanted on the school grounds – but there was no playing in the woods beyond the fence or wandering off. At lunch time we could eat inside, and occasionally we could stay in out of the summer heat in the afternoons, and at the other Boston school, sometimes there were craft activities – I mostly remember the boondoggle – colorful plastic strips that could be woven into key chains.

     Recreation was free! Can you imagine something like this existing in today's world? And my mother thought it was a godsend! She went to work and did not have to worry about where her kids were and whether or not they were safe – they got on a bus every day and got to play with other kids with adult supervision and it was free! Could anything be better than that?

     I think Recreation at Boston Valley School is where I remember chasing the cloud shadows I mentioned in another posting – I can see the fence and the flat mowed field of the school in between the playground and the baseball diamond – the latter where I was hit with the baseball. And there was a fence beyond the baseball field that I always wanted to climb over and explore the woods – but I was never quite bold enough to do it.

     The other Boston school held a lot of curiosity for me because it was different. The bus ride was fun as we went miles in the direction opposite of Hamburg and Buffalo – a direction the family didn't usually travel. And you know, Boston was and still is quite beautiful! Once a week we walked, with supervision a little bit down the street to the Boston Free Library and someone read to us – we might have even checked out books. After a while, a friend and I did take to escaping the confines of that school property to walk to the store and buy Necco Wafers and stuff them in our pockets. We eventually got caught and got a lecture.

     Another highlight of the second Boston school during Recreation is the story of Clark locking himself in the boys' bathroom! Now mind you, Clark is three years younger than I am – so he was school age, but a young tyke. I did not know what was going on that tday – but suddenly there were sirens and a firetruck arrived at the school! Then firemen were at the boys' bathroom door, and kids around me were saying that my brother was locked inside. I looked around and did not see Clark anywhere – so it could have been true! I do not know if the firemen picked the lock or if they took the hinges off the door, but Clark finally emerged, face tear-streaked but otherwise okay.

     Today, the second Boston school is now an apartment complex. I drove into the parking lot last summer for a look around – I felt no aura of the past surrounding me. Boston Free Library is still there – I took a picture but did not go inside. The store is still there too – I'm sure the Necco Wafers are right where they used to be.

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