On Going to School:

I woke up this morning from a dream about being back in school. Eek! Yes at my age I can still invoke them. I am aware that it is because I signed up for a Writing Workshop starting Thursday night.

I went out yesterday to buy a new notebook and pens for said class. I got out my stock pile of stickers and prettied up the plain spiral five subject notebook and made it uniquely mine. I slipped on pen bumpers to cushion my fingers from the heavy use. And I sharpened some pencils. Yes, that smell permeated my nose and brought me back to childhood. Funny how smells can do that.

I was not one of those kids that did the sticker thing. Well, we didn’t have the stickers thing back then. The most was those lick and stick stars on a well done paper from the teacher. I know that you balk, stand back and say, ‘No!’ But ‘peel and stick’ stickers were not the fashion back then.

Anyway, I dreamt of halls and lockers, class rooms and chalkboards, (Yes mine were the old black slate.) people of all ages looking me up and down, sizing me up, taking my measure. Would I fit in? Was there a friend in that sea of new faces? Would I fail at some dreaded test?

I woke up in a panic, my heart racing. ‘Just a dream.’ I kept on telling myself. I wasn’t the best of students. In fact do to learning disabilities that were misunderstood back then, I was labeled retarded. Only to find out a some years later I had a genius IQ. For me ‘School’ was hell. All the way through college.

Still I’m look forward to my up coming class. Stickers hiding my previous wounds. Brave face. I’m going back to school. Apple anyone?