Facebook is one huge virtual reunion with students

MJM circa 1970 at CHS

About a month ago I started using Facebook at the suggestion of former students, and it has been a truly wonderful experience -- it's primarily been a virtual reunion with my students from the years I taught at Chapleau High School starting 40 years ago. I have added a few other friends but at this point, the vast majority are from CHS. I also taught at College of the Rockies, Cranbrook, BC, and have a few students from there now.

Thomas Wolfe, the American writer, noted in 'Look Homeward, Angel' that "you can't go home again, because home has ceased to exist except in the mothballs of memories." To mix the metaphor, over the past month as I have caught up on the life and times of their lives we sure have been looking homeward, back to that small community in Northern Ontario, and in my case at least, overworking the "mothballs of memories" as I try to recall them as students and make family connections. I'm improving and it's great fun!

Some of them still live in Chapleau but the vast majority have moved and continued their lives in so many different places. I have been gone over 20 years now but like all who were raised there, still consider Chapleau home.

But today I want to especially recognize my former students who lived in the Chapleau area and travelled by bus daily to attend school. Northern Ontario winters were harsh then as they are now, but very seldom did the school buses not arrive on time. Once in a while there would be an announcement, "The Sultan bus has arrived" just a few moments after nine a.m.

Sultan is located about 50 miles from Chapleau by highway, and kids from there made the return trip daily from Grade one to the end of high school. They also came from Island Lake, Pineal Lake and from two First Nations reservations as I recall. If I have missed one please let me know.

I'm so delighted that "bus" students are part of the virtual reunion on Facebook. I always felt that they were shortchanged by the school system as most were never able to participate in extra curricular activities. More on that one another time!

So thanks so much for bringing me up to date and for once again sharing your lives with me. I have been going home again for our wonderful visits on Facebook!

Feel free to comment or email me at mj.morris@live.ca