I went to the mall on Saturday afternoon on a one-stop mission – I knew what I wanted and where to find it. I always park outside Macy’s since I never have a problem finding a good spot. I was surprised to find myself going up and down the rows trying to find a place to park when it hit me – school starts on Monday.
As I walked through the mall I saw all the signs – harried mothers, bored kids, and lots of bags full of back-to-school clothes. I’ve never had to get a child ready for this late summer/fall ritual, but I do remember all those years when I was that kid.
By the end of summer I was always be ready to go back to school. Not so much for the learning but for the excitement of knowing who my teacher would be (we never knew that beforehand) and seeing many of my friends again. In our section of Brooklyn, NY there were so many kids within a two block radius that you never had to venture further than that to find a wealth of playmates. So school was the chance to reconnect with the kids who lived “further” out.
I loved the preparation that came along with it as well – and that will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me well. We wore uniforms, so shopping for school clothes was minimal at best. But organizing my supplies was a treat: choosing my pencil case and what went inside; getting composition books and putting my name on the front (I’d add my class once I knew that information); and on the first day, getting my books. It was eventful when you were handed a brand new text book instead of the typical hand-me-downs. If that rare event occurred I would treat the book with a special reverence as I had the responsibility to keep it looking as new as possible for the student who would have it next year.
Our school required that we cover our books as a way to protect them year-over-year. So on that first night I was busy getting my supply of brown paper grocery bags out and measuring and cutting. Then of course I would label each book since they all looked alike. How satisfied I would be looking at my pile of “new” text books in their brand new covers!
I was at dinner with friends last night and brought up the topic of going back to school. Pamela grew up in Chester, South Carolina and Karen in El Paso, Texas so we had a pretty good representation of the country. I shared the requirement that we cover our books and found it very interesting that Karen did the very same thing, also with brown paper grocery bags. Not that this was a bonding moment, but at least it confirmed my school was not unique in this ritual.
So before anyone thinks I was a geek to the highest degree, I do have to admit that once the excitement wore off and the first week of school was over, I was already counting the days to our first school holiday and looking forward to next summer. From mid-September to the end of June I was in a school daze.
And for all those mothers out there breathing a sign of relief that there are now six to eight hours in the day Monday through Friday they no longer have to plan, enjoy!
