Rebels

SK Rebels – A Trip Down Memory Lane.

Still cleaning out and uncovering all kinds of old treasures! This time, I've stumbled upon a collection of old junior high school yearbooks, the SK Rebels, and what a collection it is!

Each year my dad was principal, he would give a yearbook to my grandmother and she would sign it inside the front cover. Somehow, over the years, they all found their way into my hands. Dad was principal for 28 years, and that's a whole lot of yearbooks! I'm missing quite a few years, but I still have more than I could ever possibly know what to do with. And while I'm sure my kids wouldn't have much interest in hanging on to decades-old junior high yearbooks, I couldn't quite bring myself to toss them.

So, I decided to post them on the local Facebook page and see if anyone might be interested in claiming a few. Holy cow, did I get responses! I absolutely loved seeing people request their particular years, and reading the comments from those eager to get their hands on a little piece of their own history. Today, I'll be putting them outside, labeled and ready for their new owners to pick up. I love the thought of these books finding their way back into the homes of the people who actually have a connection to them.

Of course, there's always a know-it-all or two (or three!) ready to tell you what you should be doing. More than one person suggested donating them to the town. Well, of course, we all know how that would go! They've already torn down the school, and I can only imagine there are probably yearbooks from every year in the pile of rubble. And let's not forget how well the town handled my time capsule! I'm thinking these books are much better off finding their way into private homes, where former students can flip through the pages, reminisce, and enjoy a little trip down memory lane.

I have to admit, with every comment telling me what I should do with them, my annoyance grew just a little more. Here's the thing: they're my dad's treasures, and ultimately, I get to decide what happens to them. I didn't make the decision to part with them lightly, and I certainly didn't have to offer them up to anyone. Heck, I could just as easily have thrown them in the trash rather than take the time to photograph them, post them, answer requests, and arrange for people to pick them up. Instead, I chose to give them a chance at a second life. I'll save my response to the know-it-alls for later today, when I can put together something firm enough to make my point without sounding too mean. Wish me luck!

In the meantime, I have to say that seeing all the interest has been the best part of this little clean-out project. I'm not sure our old yearbooks mean much to anyone who didn't attend SKJH, but for those of us who did, they're a treasure trove of memories. One look at those familiar faces and we immediately remember names, teachers, friends, and all the good times. It's amazing how a photograph can take you right back to being a kid again, when the biggest concerns in life were probably homework, who was sitting with whom at lunch, and what was happening after school.

Oh, how we loved SKJH! It was never quite the same once they turned it into a middle school, and, if I'm being completely honest, it wasn't quite the same after my dad left, either. Those were special years, and those old books hold a little piece of them.

As I continue cleaning out, I'm realizing that sometimes the best thing we can do with old treasures isn't to keep them tucked away forever, but to let them go where they'll be appreciated. These yearbooks are more than old paper and faded photographs. They're memories, friendships, and little pieces of our shared history. And knowing they'll be enjoyed by the very people who helped make those memories makes letting go a whole lot easier. Besides, Dad would probably get a kick out of knowing his old yearbooks are still bringing people together all these years later. 

“There is no distance on this earth as far away as yesterday.” — Robert Nathan