Gretchen Griener:  

I am both very sentimental about past good times and have had a difficult time staying in the same place; my craving for learning about people of all cultures, how we interact and how we can transform that interaction has been a common theme of my 30 year trajectory. Most of the impetus for this began in Louisiana! I tease my brother Eric that he helps people see physically (he's an ophthalmologist); but my mission is different: I help people see from a point of inner space, out, so that we can live more creatively in diversity and use conflict for positive, non violent change. So much of this developing vision of inner space evolved from all my treasured interactions with dear friends of old like YOU. There was book learning.....and there was the school of observation, reflection and mental note-taking. A.C. STEERE FOLKS IN SHREVEPORT:(1967-1974) The reason I have so many schools up is because I cherish my childhood memories in Shreveport! I have five siblings, we lived on Preston Avenue, one block from the Kings Highway bayou, across the street from the Harpers. I had Mrs' Gowen, Lee, Johnson, Duran and the infamous Mrs. Sloane--she was scary!--as teachers. Along with Karen Moss I was in 5th and 6th grade orchestra and I was on the Shreve Island softball team since Steere didn't have one back then; Kathy Oursler was also on that team. I ran track with Rita Walker. I loved A.C. Steere! It was also a remarkable time there during desegregation. Spaghetti Eddie was the school's janitor-African American-- and he was the wisest man I knew as we engaged in many conversations about race relations. His love and wisdom in being able to transcend the world's chaos with an eleven year old is something I'll never forget; he also snuck me in the bell tower for my 12th birthday after I'd been begging him for years to show it to me. He was also the first one to teach me about the Golden Rule. What a wonderful teacher he was! My MOST MEMORABLE GRADE SCHOOL MOMENT: I sang in the choir and b/c I was so tall stood on the top row. During a performance in that huge auditorium for parents and teachers and lack of air, I fainted and fell through the four rows of standing students below me during singing Let There Be Peace on Earth on my face and with my skirt flipped up over my bum by the time I hit the floor. I was so humiliated after I came to and relieved I had a on brand new underwear. The look on Mrs. Von Einem's face as she didn't miss a beat I'll never forget!! She had such dramatic expressions! (If I only knew then that that "fall on my face" was only the beginning of many in life!! :-)) A good preparation for! Always keep your underwear clean! MOVE TO HAMMOND (Sept 1974): We were really sad to move to Hammond....at first. It was SO different from Shreveport: trading the urban city for the small country town. 7th grade felt like it only had 30 people in it. High School only had about 250 people in it. But, I learned to love the country life, riding a school bus instead of walking to school and taking care of chickens, 4 acres, citrus trees, blueberry bushes and a horse. The fact that Hammond was where my maternal grandmother was born in 1912 also brewed its mystique for me ..and helped me adapt. She told of lots of stories about different families' ancestors (for example, my grandmother and Sandifer Sharp's grandmother had been best friends=Teeny Sharp=as girls), old family businesses began in some of the current buildings on Thomas Street, and how some places she got to in a horse and buggy! The coolest point was that my great-grand father, her father, had been the Train Master at the Hammond Train Station for many years back in the early 1900's. So, Hammond connected me to my beloved grandmother and her childhood on a farm near what is now Hammond Jr. High. I also formed dear, dear friendships there. INDEPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL: Also formed friendships with Nicolette Tuzzolino, Charlene Anthony and Louis DiVencenti all IHS graduates. I was in the Passion Play with Louis--although a very minor part to his awesome singing--at SLU="Man of LaMancha." His rendition of "The Impossible Dream" memorable to this day! Visited him later in Chicago where he was member of theater group. HIGHLIGHTS OF HAMMOND: *Saved Helen Hunter from drowning in the Tangipahoa River back when you could tube in a clean, clear river there (1975). She had popped out of her tube, could not swim and went down, down, DOWN. I remember seeing her on the bottom being pulled by the current, the water was clear and I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up and then she almost drowned me! It was quite memorable for everyone with us. 34 years later and not forgotten. Helen Hunter, Melva Jean Diggs, Matt Jacocks and I wrote and performed the play "The Lincoln-Douglas Debates" at Hammond Junior High. It was a serious play, but at the same time I remember how much we cracked one another up! So much learning and fun together. (1975) Helen Hunter, Melva Diggs and I went swimming in a pasture pond and they kept commenting on how squishy the bottom was. I told them later it was a cow pond where the squish was likely nitrogenous. We have good complexions to this day. (1975) Kim Mulkey getting a free throw from Mr. Alford in 8th grade. If it ain't got a hoop, don't throw it. " :-) (1975) Sitting next to Cindy Graziano in typing class chatting away--not hearing Mrs. Thomas tell everyone to "listen!" and suddenly feeling an eraser hitting me in the back of my head. Stunned silence, it was Mrs. Thomas's adept aim...suddenly the entire class was laughing....well, she got me to shut up! :-) Loved her! (1977) Secrets people told me about really big things that I still have never spoken of. Reading Edgar Allen Poe in Mrs. Moore's Freshman English class. Very cool experience. Seeing Romeo and Juliet for the first time. Reading Shakespeare. Getting confirmed in 8th grade at Holy Ghost Catholic Church. Paul Peterson had a big afro and was getting confirmed in line behind me. There was a big circular stained glass window up above and behind us under which stood Kim Mulkey looking completely fascinated by this ritual. What struck me was Paul's Afro was perfectly lit up and encircled by the celestial glow of that window and he looked just like the first Black Angel I'd ever seen!! That day was the beginning of our long friendship of 35+ years. (1976) Troy Mann and I acting as co editors of the Twister newspaper at HHS. What a learning experience that was! My earliest social justice journalism....(1978) Troy mooning the Senior float on Bloomer Bowl Day. Mrs. Faller endlessly talking about Lokey. And the day I hea...Expand for more