Nervousness. Anticipation. Expectation. Hopes and Dreams. Uniforms. Unicorns. Erasers. College Ruled Notebooks. Colored Pencils. Friends. Parties. Dances. Lunch Boxes. Laughs. Crying. Drama. Girls. Boys. Teachers. Books. Musical Instruments. Sports of All Kinds. Gym. Lockers. Growth. Intellect. Multiple Choice. Being Silly. Pranks. BFF. Yearbook. Lots of Rules. Clubs.
I walk into Wal-Mart and a warm glow and fresh spirit emanate from the ‘BACK TO SCHOOL’ section. It’s as if it is framed by a halo of expectation, intellect, excitement and a fresh glimpse of the future.
I remember how the pencils would beckon me to write and journal and doodle and imagine on fresh sheets of paper just waiting for their face to be covered in dreams, scribbles, hearts, laughter, memories, notes on important topics like Shakespeare or my best friend and her crush.
Watercolor paints promise swashes of color to fill in the blanks of a black and white outlined figure who sitting, waiting to be bathed in colored and brought to life.
Erasers are for wiping away the regrets, mistakes, changes of heart, note taking gone wrong, a spilled secret and path gone wrong. Thank God for erasers – so pink and squishy – they smell of redemption and whisper, “It’s OK to make a mistake, we all do. Just forgive.”
Three ring binders are just waiting to be filled with college ruled papers which remind us to ‘Stay in the lines’ whispering “There’s an order to it all,” and “Don’t forget to write your name on all that you do and say.” “Own it.” “Mistakes are lessons and successes are to be celebrated.” “Stay humble. Work hard. Write it all down and take careful note of all that you observe.”
Staplers help us keep it all together. They bind our work and help it to remain orderly. Painful pricks can happen when stapling and bonding. Careful of catching your skin in the process! It doesn’t belong to paper, so keep it separated and protect it. Set boundaries. Watch out for items that don’t deserve or belong in your sphere of influence.
Elmer’s White glue is another binding agent – popular, but not as strong in its ability to keep it all together. It advertises a strong connection, but is easily washed away with a drop of water and quick rinse. It’s not the friend that you want to rely on.
Scissors are required for removing excess papers from carefully drawn figures of clouds, trees, clowns, geese, spheres, squares, and triangles. They craft, remove the excess, keep us focused on the objects that we find important.
We gather all of our important tools for learning and carefully label them with our names – creating an identifier of who we are. A lifelong learner. A student. A dreamer. A future. An individual. Unique. Each in his or her own way. No two are exactly alike.
These objects are gently placed (or violently shoved, depending on the mood that day) into a backpack that has been carefully chosen to reflect one’s personality – hot pink, camouflage, black, navy, camel with army green trim, etc.
Backpacks are set by the backdoor – new, fresh, expectant, stiff, heavy with anticipation – ready to be opened the next day in the classroom . . .
On the First Day of School.
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