J. Paul Beam

Most of my favorite memories are from my school, J. Paul Beam elementary. One of the best things about JPB was that it was small, only 1 class per grade, and we grew up together. We knew all the teachers and they knew us. Mrs. Hubbard was the 6th grade teacher and everyone's favorite. Back then I went by my childhood nickname Kiki. In fact, I doubt anyone even knew my real name was Kirsten.

My best friend was Kenya Littlejohn. It's funny, I grew up in the South when racial tensions were better than in my father's school days, but still prevalent, but I really didn't see much of it at school. My German mother and southern father didn't have any problems with the fact the Kenya was black, or my other friend Bobbi Jo. In fact, they were 2of the smartest kids in my class.

My mother used to buy books for us at a used bookstore in Spartanburg. One book she bought me was Steal Away, Steal Away Home. It was about 2 young slaves escaping North on the Underground Railroad. I loved that book and wish I still had that copy. She also got me a book on Frederick Douglass. That must be what started my love of reading biographies. She got me many other books I loved to read, but my absolute favorite book to this day is Bridge to Terabithia. Mrs. Hubbard read it to us and I do have a copy of that still and read it every so often.

Mrs. Hubbard read a few books to us that have remained favorites. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and The Lottery Rose, which still makes me cry.  A Taste of Blackberries and The TV Kid were others she read. Mrs. Poole, our 4th grade teacher, read The Boxcar Children to us. I still can't read it without hearing her voice say "it is delicious, and cold too." I ran into her in 1998 at a grocery store while visiting with my family. She recognized my sister Heidi and I and asked about all our 5 siblings. She informed us that Mrs. Hubbard had breast cancer. Never found out more about it unfortunately.

I loved those teachers and wish I could tell them now how much they affected my life for the better.