My CCCA

This entry was posted at www.ourccca.com, a website started by my brother to get back in touch with old friends from Cherry Creek Christian Academy in Colorado. Not many of you will find it that interesting, but I thought I'd post it here, anyway. Carry on...
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When my brother told me about his idea to start up this website, I got excited. I've always been a big fan of reuniting with old friends. I regularly find myself "Googling" names of people from my past hoping to find some information on what they're up to, and how their life has changed. Shoot, put the words "Reunion Special" on the end of any old TV show, and I make sure to make time to check it out.

As the names from the past started popping up, I quickly realized that this was more Rick's CCCA then it was My CCCA. Sure, I've seen several names that I remember, and those names are bringing to mind events that I had forgotten, but the excitement I initially felt about the site was starting to fade. My days at CCCA consisted more of playing with my G.I. Joe figures at recess or swinging outside waiting for my mom after school let out. I wasn't really an impact player at the age of seven.

While I was watching He-Man, Rick was playing high school basketball. While I was pretending to be a Transformer, Rick was taking a trip to Mexico. While I was playing my Atari 2600, Rick was out getting in fights with drunks in convenience store parking lots (he can tell you about that one later).

It was obvious to me that CCCA meant more to Rick then it ever could to me. Rick's years at CCCA helped to define him as a man. My years there only defined me as "Mrs. A's son" or "Rick's little brother". Rick can look back and remember instances and events that changed his life. The value of my memories didn't add up to Rick's. And just to prove it, I started running through some of my CCCA memories in my head...

I remember falling off of the playground equipment and breaking my collarbone. Ms. Bew didn't think I was that hurt, so she made me move my arm around until the pain went away. It didn't.

I remember a friend of mine suggesting I should "moon" the cheerleaders. I didn't know what that even was at the time, but after a description it sounded like fun, so I let it shine. I remember the swats from Brother "O"...and the swats from my dad later that night.

I remember winning my 3rd grade spelling bee and getting a big, blue ribbon for my troubles. I also remember failing to defend my title in 4th grade after replacing the "z" with a "c" in the word citizen.

I remember my parents trying to explain to me why we had a new Preacher.

I remember that children's church had huge, wooden cut-outs of buildings for their puppet shows. I remember playing with one, knocking it over, making it fall on me and crushing my kneecap. A lot of people signed my cast.

I remember playing JV Football...in 4th grade. We scored 6 points that season. I lettered, but I had a cold so my mom made me stay home from the sports banquet. You'd think that six years of getting my butt kicked by Sheila McKnight in one-on-one flag football would have made me a better player.

I remember having a special chapel called so they could announce the news that Scott Christner was involved in an accident. It was my first experience with the death of somebody I knew - somebody who had been to my house.

I remember the pot luck the church held for my family on our last Sunday there. There were a lot of hugs, a lot of tears and a lot of sadness. I remember that I was leaving all of my friends, my teachers and my history - even though I was only 10 at the time.

...

And that was when it hit me.

Even though I downplay my years there by saying "oh, I was just a kid", it doesn't change the fact that there were numerous events that occurred there that I'll remember my entire life. Events that make CCCA just as much MY CCCA as anybody else's.

I'd assume that's why Rick chose to call this site "Our" CCCA. He was right.