I have mentioned before on the Blog that there is a very large group of former SHAPE students in Belgium that have connected on Facebook.
Interesting coincidences- the far reach of SHAPE from high school.. For a few months this winter Bruce owned Promenade. Bruce and I had a bit in common as he was also raised Military, although his Father being a 3 star General was in a different league! A couple days ago Bruce passed on a message from his ex wife, saying that she actually KNEW ME from then... I won't put up any last names, as she prefers to keep her internet presence down (I know sounds strange to me who puts my whole life out there!) This is what she wrote...
" When we were in Mons/SHAPE. 1975/76/77. She was in the Canadian school and I was in the American school. But I remember her well. Mother wanted to see all the schools I could go to. There was an Aid who took us to the French and American schools which had hallways and were like regular schools, and then took us to the Canadian school, which was a cubby hole, and I've always remembered the shock on Kerry's face as the Aid opened the door into their cubby hole. It was such a "Who the hell are you?". So cute. Mother saw the Canadian cubby hole, and said, "Barbara will be going to the American school". I saw Kerry maybe one or two times after that when I was doing a recital, but I always remembered her. Most kids were blase about everything, but she had spunk. So, I emailed her My sister, Laura, actually graduated from SHAPE in '76. She was a SHAPE Spartan Drill team...Remember the AYA? Best pistachio ice cream EVER. Oh, and the Bon Marche? That was the first and thankfully only time I have ever seen roll-on deodorant on a tester. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around that. We lived in Mons in a 200 year old town house, not at SHAPE. My Dad had gotten to the point in his career where the house came along with the assignment. He worked directly for Haig. I loved walking up to the Grand Place to buy fresh bread and market. Ohhhh....the Pātisserie! Remember the bronze monkey? You had to rub it with your left hand for good luck? When I remember back to the Canadian school, it does come back as something like out of a movie. Where they open a door in a wall and there is a whole world behind it. I still think of it as a cubby hole. There was a picture of you on your blog where you had that "What the hell?" face, and I was like, "I know that girl." 2+2=4 and so here we are. Or maybe it's BVI + Dallas = Mons....:-)"
She was correct, the Canadian Section was behind these big ass heavy doors that looked like you were locked in an insane asylum...Until I finally got to go to the American Section for my last year, I never felt like I was part of the school community really there behind those doors..... She really brought back a memory that I had forgotten.
Funny, she said I was spunky, and a lot of other people remembered my big smile back then, but I was sure a bundle of insecurity without much self confidence then for the most part! Damn cat eye glasses I had to wear I believe!
