Photoessay #822 - Some more first days

I found these two pictures today, wish I had had them last week. I would have added them to the picture we made for Julie and Hal.

Some more first days of schools for the kids on 34th NE. Of a certain cohort. With Naomi being the youngest and Keith and Aaron being the oldest. Maybe 1990 and 1995?

This cul-de-sac has 12 houses. Of course, there are more kids now. And how can you judge another neighborhood or your own neighborhood at a different time? But during my kid's school years, the neighborhood felt very cohesive to me. A lot of interatcion between the neighbors and lots of helping each other out when we needed it.

The concept of 'desperation backup' ruled. If you called a neighbor and invoked 'desperation backup' usually involving getting a kid somewhere, the obligation was strong. You didn't do it unless you were really stuck.

Here's an interesting and encouraging statistic. for the top picture. 13 kids, the two girls most right in the back row, not sure who thery are. The girl on the left in the back row, her family moved when she was in high school. Of the ten remaining, 8 are attending or have graduated from a 4 year school. All University of Washington or Washington State University. One from the University of Oregon. One completed a multi-year certificate program associated with the University of Montana, 1 went to community college.

That's not bad, not bad at all.