Primary Thoughts

Okay... I gotta warn you that this post seems surprisingly Relief Society.  It must be that primary has kept me out of priesthood for a while.

Ya know, I only have a few memories from primary:

• I remember the chorister teaching us to sing like "wide-mouth frogs" for the alphabet-Christmas song.
  
• I remember one sharing time where a boy had to touch a lit lightbulb with a hot pad (his name is David Faust).  I think the moral was that making bad decisions keeps us from feeling the spirit.  I remember that he kept touching the lightbulb while the member of the primary presidency was teaching because she never told him to stop.  Then he said "I can feel it now."  We all laughed and he didn't have to touch the lightbulb anymore.
  
• I remember that one of my primary teachers gave me my very first Altoid.  Holy cow, that was intense.
  
• I remember a sharing time when there was a wrapped present with only a slip of paper that said "Holy Ghost."
  
• I remember going over to my primary president's condo for my exit interview.  Her name was Sister Panell, I think.  I had to recite all 13 Articles of Faith.
  
• I remember that Jessica Fuller could enunciate beautifully while reading verses in the scriptures.  I tried to copy the way she read the letter "s"... she said the "s" sound through her teeth.
  
• I remember that I was chosen for a special primary choir.  I sang really loud (REALLY loud).  I think some kids made fun of me a little bit after that.  I haven't really liked to sing (other that congregationally) since then.
  
• I remember Cub Scouts and my first experience with a hot-glue gun.  We got it on our fingers on purpose, and it hurt really bad.  We were making neckerchief slides.
  
• I remember playing pogs on the foyer floor in the 40th St. & Oak building with Curtis Mortensen.  I remember that he moved far away.
  
• I remember bearing my testimony in Sacrament Meeting and getting all sniffly as I returned to the pew.  My mommy was so proud.
  
• I remember getting really upset that I wasn't going to be in sr. primary for another year.  I thought they changed the rules just to keep me out, but I think it was that there weren't any kids in the class above me, so when everybody got older, I still had to sit on the jr. primary side of the room.
  
• I remember leaving primary during the last hour after I turned 12.  I got to go to priesthood.  I was the priesthood pianist, and I could play any hymn (as long as it was 106, 142, or 239).
  
• I remember the primary presidency changing and all of the women crying.  I didn't understand what the big deal was, since I'd still see everybody in the chapel.
  

Haylee and I only have a couple-three weeks left in our calling... Ya know, it's been hard. Sometimes, it seems that no matter how prepared our lesson is, no matter how involved I am in making the lesson enjoyable, and no matter how well we follow all of the instructions for making the class valuable, everything falls apart and we are a failure.

But because I can add a few special moments to my "Primary Memories" list, I realize that it is all worth it:

• I remember having a primary party at our apartment, where we watched a movie.  Almost everybody had seen it and there were no surprises as the plot continued, aided with whispers.  
  
• I remember coming to sharing time determined to learn, and leaving with a deeper understanding of the atonement.
  
• I remember having a really tough lesson...  It seemed that nobody was being receptive.  As I was getting more frustrated, I got to the part of 3 Nephi where Jesus called for the children.  I started to get choked up as everything changed and our classroom became a holy place.
  
• I remember knowing that as I was being called in with my wife for a quick moment with a member of the bishopric, I was getting the one calling that I really didn't think would work. 
  How inspired was my calling!

I remember, and I am thankful.

Do you have any special primary remembrances?