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| St. Luke's church and school under construction, we lived just to the left. |
I unpacked the apples I had bought at the grocery store, and realized they smelled like plaid. Their scent took me back to my days at St. Luke's — a tiny, tiny Catholic elementary school (13 kids in my combined 7th and 8th grade class). Back to school meant new white blouses to wear under my plaid uniform jumper and stiff saddle shoes. Cigar boxes (real ones courtesy of my Uncle Gene - do kids still use these?), fresh sheaves of loose leaf. No lunch box, I walked home for lunch every day. I had such lunch box envy when I was young.
Now back to school means pulling books from shelves to take into my office for this semester's courses, and yellow pads with notes of what needs to be done before the term begins on them. There is less of a newness about it all in some ways, but the wave of students that wash over the college always brings something new with them, something unexpected.
No lunch box, still, unless you count the bento box and furoshiki?
It is an exciting time for so many - from the little ones like my grandson who will enter all day kindergarten this year to people my age who choose to keep on taking courses. Your students are fortunate to have a professor who is passionate about teaching and about her students. Blessings.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, so evocative. I had a lunch box, and go-home-for-lunch envy. I had my clothes, but longed for a school uniform! The memories of back to school moments remain very clear in my mind.
ReplyDeleteThis year we will watch our senior head off to high school for the last first day of that. This year I am have powerfully mixed feelings of joy and sadness because I am not returning to school for the first time in 5 years. I'm glad to have my graduate degree, but I will miss my time there.