Full Circle: It Ends Where It Began

Nothing, as one may say, happens by accident but by circumstance.

What does the phrase, “to come full circle” mean?

The phrase "to come full circle” is an idiom that refers to something — whether a person, place, or thing — ending up in the same place it started. It most commonly refers to people.

This is how it all began. At the age of 3 or 4, my brother Don would drop me and my sister, Ann, off to the babysitters before crossing the railroad track to school. 

At this time, we had no car but lived only several blocks from the schoolhouse. Our house was located on Quaker Road in Waynesboro, right in front of a cotton field. We had a large cedar tree in our front yard. The house is no longer there but the tree remains. I was told much later in life that it was my dad and brother Don that had cut it down from the ditch at the back of our house when it was very small and planted it in our front yard. It was always my dream as a child to decorate it for Christmas, even though it was very large. 

You see, all we had to do was walk about a block or even a little less and turn the corner and we would be on Walker St. At the end of that street, we would make a left turn and would be on 9th Street. Then there was the 4th-grade school building; next to it were three little wooden houses. All of this was on the left-hand side of the street. Our babysitter lived in the middle house. Her name was Ms. Carrie, I do believe. After passing the 3rd house, there was the railroad track that separated us from the schoolyard. There sat the little, red brick schoolhouse. 

I can remember so vividly hearing the laughter in the schoolyard at lunchtime from the children playing.

Oh my gosh, I wanted to go to school so bad. When the bell rang for the children to reenter the building, everything became quiet. We then had to lay down to take a nap. After we would wake up, it would be time for my brother to pick us up.

Would you believe that when I finally began school and entered the sixth grade, that was the same building my class was held in? Who was my teacher? None other than Mrs. Cynthia B. Mobley. I had to walk the same way to school and pass the same three houses on my way to school. I can barely remember the laughter of my peers and me playing in the same schoolyard during recess. However, my earlier experience prior to going to school has always stuck with me.

In that same building, there were four large classrooms with wooden desks and our little store where we purchased our lunch. It was usually cookies and milk. Then there were days when we had more than a dime and would buy chips, soda, and maybe a piece of candy (unless it was coming up to a special holiday and our parents would make sure to give us enough money to buy our lunch in the cafeteria). I think at that time, lunch in the cafeteria was twenty cents and we would receive a little red token to give to the lunch clerk to prove we had paid for our lunch. If I remember correctly, it was a little bit bigger than a dime with some grooves all around it. In that same building, we use to attend 4-H classes. Our classes would double up in one room and the 4-H teacher would come to visit. 

Not only did I attend school there, I had the opportunity to teach at the same school, but it had several other larger buildings. I never got to teach in the little red brick building, but I had to walk my students over there in the same classroom for music. 

Now, years later, I had the opportunity to host an event in that same schoolyard with the little, red brick school building. I was able to give away school backpacks along with other school supplies donated by organizations, friends, and families to support the cause. There was also a health care initiative for the adults with resources and health care officials on hand from different agencies. We served good refreshments while having a good time!  We had a DJ, who played the best and latest music, enjoyed as much by the adults as the young folks. We even had inflatables for the little kids to play on. There were many volunteers and friends who just came by to say hello. But most of all, my special guest was my 6th-grade teacher, Mrs. Mobley, who I mentioned earlier that taught me as a child in that same building. Did I tell you the kids participated in a dance contest and won prizes as well as the raffle? I tell you, I had just as much fun as the kids!

Oh my God, it didn’t hit me until later that night as I was reflecting over that day. My life had come full circle. Being there was so much fun and brought much joy and laughter. Little did I know what profound impact the red brick building in the schoolyard had on me.

A full-circle moment, truly.