Happy first day of school! I always loved going back to school because I had a chance to reconnect with friends and share my summer adventures. Granted, these adventures typically included the Jersey Shore, Wawa, and a lot of MTV and ESPN, but that was enough for me. Summer was so unstructured for me that it could get listless and boring. I wanted to see my friends again. I wanted the challenge of learning new historical facts. I wanted Sister Jane’s “brainfood” to help me with my math problems. I wanted to play in the recess yard. I even sort of liked shopping for supplies, though this Staples commercial clearly violated the Eighth Amendment.
Good work, Millhouse – I could’ve learned a thing or two from you. Always agree with your crush or the cool kid in order to re-acclimate yourself to the school environment.
“Billy Madison” sums up all of my hopes and fears.
I empathize, young Forrest. Finding a seat on the bus can be excruciating when you don’t know anyone. I know I’m definitely grateful for those friends who made bus rides fun, especially when the initial fervor of a new school year dissipated so quickly.
This enthusiasm quickly fizzled when I realized that I had to, like, work and get along with kids I didn’t like and do some math sheets without the help of any candy. But that initial consolation of growing socially and intellectually would creep back up every now and then to keep me going throughout the school year. For that, I’m still grateful.
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Cover photo courtesy of flickr user Morgan
