Back 2 School Memories

In a few short days, children all over the United States will be waiting at the bus stop to start another school year. Many of them will be wishing that summer could last just a bit longer, but a few will be happy to start again.

Before that can happen, the dreaded school supplies shopping has to begin. My mom always seemed to make this somewhat fun for us. That might be the reason why I always loved it. Sure, we would have to maneuver a overflowing cart around pallets of three-ring binder filler paper and notebooks and have to deal with crowded aisles with families that looked like they were heading off to get executed. Even that didn't even spoil my fun one bit.

One of the biggest deals for me was trying to decide what color my classes notebooks were going to be this year. "Maybe red, oh that purple is cute, oh I know green," and so on it would go. And of course, a matching folder to go with.

Each year, it always seemed to us that the teacher's would request something that you wouldn't find at any store. "The golden ticket items" is what we sometimes called it. Where do you find a star shape paper hole punch? or lime green 4-by-6 inch note cards?

It became a game, like a treasure hunt for us, and the rule was that whoever could find the golden ticket item would get to pick where we would have lunch that day or gets to ride in the front seat the rest of the day. This was like the Holy Grail to us.

We'd run around the crowed aisles of the school supplies area looking for that much-needed item. " I found it," you would hear one of us say a few minutes later. But it wasn't official until the judge - AKA Mom - made her call.

Another item that I loved picking out was my book bag for that coming year. My sister and I would look them over and try them on walking up and down the aisle like we were fashion models. We'd then make our choice and show it to the judge. Again, in this department, the judge had the final say.

When we were all done, we would have lunch at the winner's choice restaurant. Really, it was between Pizza Hut, McDonald's and KFC - or what my little sister calls "Chicken Hut." During lunch, we would talk about what outfit we would wear at the first day of school.

When we would get home, my mom would label all of our stuff. "A Tyler" with a black Sharpie. She always did this. At one time, she did it to my basketball jersey that I had to return at the end of the season. That was fun to explain to the coach.
When she was done with that, Amanda and I would divide everything into two piles - her stuff and mine - and start loading up our book bags.

I always loved how everything would be new, fresh and well-organized. This would be the first and last time for that. The rest of the year, it would become a black hole - we'd throw everything and anything in those bags.

I didn't really know how much time and money it took to get us all off and ready for school each year until I had to do it for college.

Could anybody explain this to me? Why does a Human Anatomy book cost more than the class? Or why did I have to buy an English textbook if my professor only lectured and tested us on the handout that he passed out? Instead, I got a really expensive door stop that I can press flowers in if I would like to. The professor also changed the books the next semester so I couldn't re-sell it.

This might be the reason why I love the smell of a freshly sharpened No. 2 pencil or that I always smile when I open a fresh box of Crayola Crayons.

Thanks, Mom!