Back to school

Can you hear it? It's that song. That song from the Staples commercial: "It's the mooost... wonderful timmme...of the yearrr...." It's ringing in my head right now. And I'm sure I'll forever remember that jingle til the day the cows come home. Ummm, yeah.*

Tina awoke eagerly this morning for her first day in kindergarten. She was excited and so was I. I thought of my old grammar school and highschool days and how I really looked forward to coming back to the classroom from the long summers. Shopping for new clothes wasn't too much of a big deal for me. But the stationery...oh boy!...the geek inside just couldn't keep the thrills quietly at bay. Cool looking folders, .5mm retractable pencils, killer binders and, of course...the ultimate pocket protectors! Yeah, I know...dweeb city to the max...but hey I could care less then. It was cool to me. Now let's get back to the present.

Since it was the first day of class, parents were allowed to bring their children into the classrooms to meet the teachers. Otherwise, the kids normally get dropped off just within the school doors. All the teachers seemed nice as I figured from speaking to one at length in the hallway. Then I spoke casually with the principal as he passed by and he was darn alright as well. Now I say that with surprise because I remember being fearful of my school authorities and thinking of them as not being too kind. I vividly remember many of their 'mean' moments. Very many. And some I felt were just plain terrible to us. Anyway, again to the present.

It felt very strange to talk one-on-one with the teachers and the principal as peers. For a brief millisecond, I expected to hear the condescending tones and pedantic rambling as I long remembered. But it didn't happen. My flashback feelings were trying to convince me otherwise, but I realized quickly that times have indeed changed, that the school system has evolved productively and that my kids would likely be taught better than I was taught and with much more compassion than I had received. Thank goodness gracious for that.

Now if they could only improve the morning dropoff and afternoon mayhem in the parking lot. Talk about crazy!

*That Staples commercial originally aired in 1993. I failed to find which ad agency brainstormed it.