Sharing Life Stories with Shockers - Spring Break

"Annie-Annie-Over" and Childhood Memories

It was Spring Break for Wichita State students last week. I originally thought we would not have the opportunity to meet during break since students would be gone. However, our participants wanted to continue meeting and I don't blame them. The social engagement among the groups has been such a joy for all involved. Turns out, it was actually the perfect opportunity to get creative. Thanks to technology and the ability to record the session, we could still meet and I simply share the recording with students later. Even better, my oldest kids were also on Spring Break. This meant they could venture with me to Catholic Care Center to listen. They are no strangers to older adults. Both were very close to their own Great Grandma Norma and Great Papa, and still to this day, have Great G-ma in their lives. How perfect was it though, that the topic of this particular session was childhood memories? There is a 91 year gap between one of our participants and my middle daughter. My middle daughter doesn't truly understand how special it is to learn from someone 90 years her senior, but someday she will. I didn't even really appreciate the impact and value of the relationships I had with my grandparents until I began studying aging. It has always been so natural for me to enjoy the company of older adults. It wasn't until college that I began to realize the experiences I had growing up had a major influence on my attitude towards aging and my enjoyment of engaging with the older generation. I never saw them as "old", I just saw them as people who knew way more than I could possibly imagine.

While I didn't have students in the room to draw reflections from, I selfishly enjoyed engaging my daughters in the session. As the participants shared stories, my daughters colored Easter eggs to share with each participant at the end of our session. True, it helped keep them occupied while sitting for an hour - which is a tall order, for a kindergartner especially - but it also spread a little bit of kindness around. I'd argue we received even more from them though. Like the heartwarming memories of a gentleman recollecting his days having to "play house" with his three sisters. Or the woman who reflected fondly on her girls' baseball team that formed during school recesses. And the woman who shared pictures of her as a young child, climbing on the roof of a much-too-high-for-this mom's-comfort-level, metal building on their property; recalling how her mom would go in the house and shut the door, because she just couldn't watch. How about the man who shared about his soccer playing days in high school? That sure caught the attention of my little soccer players. Then there was the game "Annie-Annie-Over". This game was a hot topic among the downstairs room where I spent the majority of the time, so perhaps I shouldn't have been so surprised when I entered the upstairs room and heard the exact game being recalled again. Naturally, my girls and I required an explanation on how this game went down. Apparently, someone throws a ball over the house (or in the case of one resident, their outhouse because its size was considerably easier) while calling out "Annie-Annie-Over". To my understanding, the recipient on the other side of the house tries to catch the ball and if they do, they run around the house to tag the thrower. If you don't get the ball over on your first try, you yell out "Pigtails!" alerting your recipient it didn't make it. Admittedly, I may not have all the details correct, but guess who has been trying to throw a ball over our house this week and yelling "Annie-Annie-Over" in the process? My daughters! I just had to smile and be grateful for the time these participants spent sharing a piece of their childhood with my girls.

So, what did I learn this week? I learned what we all internally know, that we should enjoy the moment because it won't always be there. Childhood? That goes by in the blink of an eye, doesn't it? Our participants will attest to that fact. So while we can, what I take away from this week especially is that we should enjoy the moment we have and what is right in front of us. Whether that is the innocent youth of a kindergartner or the brilliant wisdom of 97 year old, take it all in because someday, it all becomes a memory.

See you next week for more Sharing Life Stories with Shockers!

-Jacie Green