First Day of School

Do you have good memories of the first day of a new school year? Are those memories false?

As I get older, it seems I collect more obsessions about myself. I guess I’m trying to attain some sort of peak of quirkiness. I can tell I’m close. As soon as Lorie leaves me in a fit of frustration I’ll start collecting cats and only talking to people by hissing at them. AT ANY RATE… what I mean to say is.. one of my latest obsessions has been memory.

What makes memory work? Is it reliable? Can it be quantified and spreadsheeted up? I know there are instances where my memory has not held up against historical facts. And some instances where I’ve seen a picture or a home movie and remembered something long forgotten. These ideas are driving me a little crazy. As if I’m losing pieces of a collection that I’m in charge of maintaining. So I do memory exercises, and I keep my Years in Review (which is like a diary comprised of dates, events and facts), and we’ve discussed the spreadsheets at length. I read and re-read, and I try never to write anything strictly relying on my memory.

I have fond memories of the first day of school at several different schools. I’m going to go out on a very short limb and say that they’re false. Maybe not the memories themselves, but the warm emotions attached to them.

The first day of school was great for many reasons. Some people list excitement at getting new school supplies and clothes. Some list the change in a routine that had become dreary. Seeing old friends, sure. Meeting new friends, sure. Seeing girls? Sure! Well, girls at the pool are better than girls in the classroom, so that might be a false memory. Even in the movie You’ve Got Mail, Tom Hanks’ character mentions a “Bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils” in one of his letters to Meg Ryan when he’s extolling the virtues of fall.

But logic, experience, and known facts dictate that the first day of school was always a basket of stress and anxiety delivered in the lovely ringing of the morning alarm. Did not want! Do not want! Bullies and lockers and gym class and math and loss of freedom!

Which is accurate? The warmth of a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils? Or the cold of the locker door into which the bully of the day has decided to push your face. Or are they both accurate?

Today is the first day back to school for my kids. Thank Heavens. I was getting sick of that whole ‘having summer off’ thing. It messes with the routine. And if you ask my son, he’s dreading school for the work and the getting up early and the potential bullies. If you ask my daughter, she’s looking forward to school for the friends and the chance to decorate her locker. My son is looking forward to friends. My daughter is dreading the change in school and having a different teacher for each subject.

So maybe both memories are accurate. Maybe when you think back to the first days of school, your mind picks the memories that match the mood you’re looking for and serves that up on a platter to your liking.

Now my brain hurts again. I need to get these facts down on a spreadsheet.

Thanks,
DCD