School Days

Here it is already. The Night before the first day of school. Summer, for all intents and purposes, is over. The new sneakers are ready to wear and bags are packed. Heavier than I think mine ever was. There are so many items to get on the new school year lists, that you need a UHaul to carry them from the store.
Then half the stuff never gets used, and its put away until next school year, unless its needed sooner.

I can remember back to the days leading up to the new school year. My mom would take us out to the mall, either Summit Park or Boulevard (the Galleria of its day!), and we would pick out shoes, and clothes. I always had to go to the "Husky" section. My mother would then embarrass me by checking to make sure the "crotchett" was not tight. Fun times. I would wait for that first day so I could be dressed top to bottom with my new duds, capped off with the shoes. Yes, we usually wore shoes and not sneakers. Those were saved for gym. Now, it's sneakers. Are they even referred to as sneakers anymore? What are they? I guess they still are.

We didn't carry the book bags until college. We were self contained until sixth grade, and then in seventh, they tried these hideous plastic briefcases with clear lids and orange bottoms. Wilson peeps, do you remember those? They were not very practical. Schedules and homework wasn't what it is now. At least it didn't seem so.

So now, my kids are getting ready for their first day. New sneakers and t-shirts ready to wear. Supplies packed into book bags. It still takes me back to my first days, and sometimes I wish I was still going.