Here is the last weekday before the Monday of the first day of the new year! I wonder if students ever know how many teachers (like me) get really worked up over the first day of school. That first impression – first handshake of the school year is a mighty important one. I wonder if my students ever can sense behind my dour, perfectly labeled, stapled, alphabetically, hole punched demeanor that there is an eager-eyed little boy who can’t wait to open up the wrapper of his number two pencils and snap his binder open for the very first time. One of the most indelible memories I have of growing up on the plains of Colorado is the annual trip to Duckwalls (a very small retail store in my one-traffic-light town). Here my mother would give me what I recall was $10 and told me I could outfilt my entire back to school portable office. I rremember spending literally a few hours combing thrrough every possilbe version of lined notebook paper, pencil pouches, and pens, and pens, and pens. Long before Office Depot opened it’s doors I was my own Office Depot – – taking great pride in my inventory. Just the high I got off of smelling new erasers as I pulled them out of their blister pack – – assured me that I would be spending the rest of my life in school – – and it became my truth.
Tomorrow, I must make my annual pilgrimage to Target. I don’t need a single thing – – but I need to watch the rush for the latest lunch boxes and backpacks. I need to see the mothers debating with their sons the merits of roller balls vs. ballpoints. I need to step back a few years to prepare for my next step forward.