The Town That Built Me

So Here's Dear Old Sparta To You, May We Ever And Always Be True, Proudly Our Praises We Sing Through All Ages, May They Ring...Those are the first lines to the Sparta School Fight Song. I've had it memorized for over 30 years. I've not had a reason to sing it since my dad moved us to neighboring Ozark in 1984. Leaving Sparta was one of the saddest days of my 14 years of life. I couldn't believe we had to move. Although I eventually loved Ozark, it was hard leaving the only home, school, and town I had ever known.  Just this week on the news, I saw Sparta crowned their 2017 Homecoming King, who happened to be a young man with Downs Syndrome. The dad talked about how blessed they were to be a part of the community. That story had me reminiscing about my own upbringing in Sparta and the sweet memories I have.
 Memory #1-Sparta Dry Goods-I loved going into Sparta's version of a department store and heading right to the Shoe Department. That smell. Oh how I loved it. I never wanted any shoes. Just the smell drew me in. There was also a mechanical horse you could ride for a dime, or maybe a quarter. I remember the Sparta Trojan shirts were available there to purchase since we had no sporting goods store around. It was also where my mom bought one of my favorite all time Christmas presents ...a tape recorder. Lorene and Zac St. John (the owners) were always so inviting. We hear a lot about customer service these days and those two individuals set the bar high. They were always welcoming and friendly. I don't remember ever wanting to run into a Walmart or Target the way I wanted to run into Sparta Dry Goods.  It's just not the same.
Memory #2-Riding bikes and walking all over town-The road behind our house went on for miles. I remember riding my ten speed bike (with no hands) for what seemed like hours. I would ride to Kevin Short's house and back. I was never worried about strange cars or scary people passing me. What a nice, forgotten feeling. We would often walk to the ice cream parlor or People's Market.  A fudgsicle was my favorite. I also remember watching the town barber,Virgil Osburn. Occasionally, on my bike ride, I would watch him walking to work with his signature brown hat.  His strong work ethic kept him in his shop into his 90's. Impressive.  Again, he's another one we could all learn a lot from. I can't remember the last time I went for a walk or a bike ride and I have never walked to work. We all need to take the time to do those things and take in what we see. 
Memory #3-The school and teachers-The hardwood floors and staircase had a charm I never appreciated until years after I had left. I loved walking from the "elementary" into the "high school". Getting a glimpse of the older kids in the gym or classrooms as we went to lunch was a treat for us "littles". Those were the days you put your head down on your desk when you were in trouble and the best piece of playground equipment a kid could ask for was a HUGE log that rocked. It was amazing!  As I looked through the Miracle Playground Book a couple years ago to purchase new pieces of equipment for the playground, I thought about the log,the merry-go-round, and the wooden "fort" we had and just smiled. We could all learn a thing or two about enjoying the simpler things in life.
Memory #4-Saturday morning cartoons and Grandma's phone call. Although my brother was the one up at the crack of dawn EVERY Saturday, I still love that memory. He was watching cartoons all morning, while my sister and I slept in. Although, sleeping in back then was only until about 8:00 a.m.  I was sure to be up to watch the Land of The Lost. I couldn't wait to see what adventures Will and Holly would be a part of each week. We also knew to expect Grandma Applegate's phone call every Saturday morning as well. I can still hear her voice on the other line. The Land of the Lost has been replaced with Fox News and Grandma's phone calls have been replaced with emails and text messages from others. All in all, it was a great childhood. I know others preferred growing up in the big cities with all they had to offer. Me? I preferred the view Sparta provided.  After all, it was the town that built me.
And All Through The Years We'll Recall, The School Loved By Us Best Of All, So Here's Dear Old Sparta To You, And May Her Colors Always True Will be Forever.