Twelfth Grade Physics

Who says science is useless? I learned (and still remember) the following things from my high school days:

• student teachers ought not to flirt with students. Or stick their fingers in the electricity-jumping thing.
• it is possible to fail a student teacher. Just because you are good at physics doesn’t mean you should teach.
• static electricity makes your hair stand on end.
• good teachers are memorable, even if the content of the class is forgotten. Thank you, Mr. Leischnig.
• to keep tea warmer longer, add the milk right away. Don’t wait five minutes.

Ok, only one of those is both scientific and relevant to my life today. But still… I am glad I took that class.

In Celebration

I’m having a reflective & slightly sappy evening thinking about my sister, who is getting married on Saturday. So, in near chronological order, my favourite memories-to-date of my sister.

1. Surgery. I don’t know if I actually remember this, or if I just know it from the picture my mom has. But my brother and I once played doctor and cut her open. Not for real, of course. But I liked wearing my pretend mask and hair net, and using our plastic cutlery to perform serious tasks.
2. (Fast-forward about eight years. I don’t have many positive memories of my sister between the ages of four and thirteen. Maybe this is reality, maybe this is just a bad case of selective memory. Maybe nothing important happened in these years, so I don’t have any memories. Maybe my memory was wiped out because something terrible happened during those years.)
3. In grade nine, I came home devastated from hearing that the boy I liked was dating someone else. I got in trouble for something, and she laughed at me for some reason, and I ran upstairs crying. I remember throwing myself on my bed, sobbing at all that was wrong with my life. She came in and apologized. I ignored her. She sat down on the bed. I turned my face away. She started rubbing my back and saying that she wasn’t leaving, because she knew that when she was my age, it’s what she would have wanted, even though she wouldn’t have admitted it. And she was right. I did secretly want her to stay and just show that she cared. This was the turning point in our friendship. Actually, writing this out is making me cry.
4. Grade nine again. Grade nine was a terrible year. On my birthday, the mean kids made fun of me (that’s another story) and I didn’t know what to do. So I found my sister. And I put my head on her shoulder, and I cried. In the hallway. And she rubbed my back again and told me she loved me, or something. I don’t remember what she said. But she was there when I needed her to be there.
5. The playtpus. Not sure when the platypus started, but it’s been ongoing since sometime in high school. I had gotten it with a Happy Meal, when Ty Beanie Babies were all the rage. And one night I threw it at her, lobbing it across the dark bedroom. She jumped when it landed on her. I laughed, and thankfully, so did she. And back and forth it went. Then it went back and forth between lives. Peru, Canada, Peru, Canada. Maybe another country or two…it’s become a symbol of “Hey, I think you’re fun, and this weird purple creature says so without actually saying anything.”
6. Once when she was standing on the stairs talking to me, I reached out and pulled her on the bottom of her shirt. Every single snap undid itself, and she was left, half-shocked and slightly exposed. Good thing I was the only one around. After that, she never let me closer than 5 ft when she was wearing that shirt.
7. Benny & Joon. She introduced me to this movie. I cried. 500 Miles became our song. I still think of her every time I hear it.
8. One summer, she worked in Toronto and I went to visit her. We went to see Mamma Mia! and I fell in love with ABBA. I desperately wish the movie was coming out before she moves away, because I’m also a little bit in love with Colin Firth and Pierce Brosnan.
9. She once hosted a party (which I was not invited to) where there were magic brownies. This is so contrary to her personality that it still makes me laugh.
10. I visited her in Peru. It was wonderful, and full of stories in itself. I think we had some great moments talking about boys & heartbreak.
11. Bride & Prejudice. Pair it with some Indian takeout and it’s another great sister date.
12. At some point, she decided that I was the big sister and she was the little sister. Or at least, that sometimes it seemed this way. I don’t think I’d debate the fact. And I hope that was supposed to be a compliment…
13. She was the first person I ever mooned. It was so much fun I did it again.

I think that brings us nearly up to date. I’m sure I’m forgetting some. But even recollecting this much has been highly entertaining.