Do you get energized about the start of another school year?  I do!  I really do!

My belief is that everyone’s lives are impacted by the school schedule.  Community activities and events are scheduled around the school calendar filled with sports, theater, music, and the Back To School and Open House events that occupy parent and students.  Even churches and civic groups double check with the school calendars to avoid conflict and confusion.

 

I’ve been putting together Back To School surprises for our grandchildren and I was out shopping today.  You know, the usual trek through Target, Academy, HEB (aka grocery for all of you non-Texans).  Monday is usually not a busy day in the stores in our town and a good time to move about efficiently with little concern for shopping cart pile ups.  But today?  The stores were astonishingly empty until I got to the section in each store labeled with banners and everything short of flashing lights – SCHOOL SUPPLIES.  

There I became entangled with hordes of families shopping in groups.  Children clutched supply lists in their hands as they tried to explain the importance of some items to parents who were editing their choices.  I left my cart at the end of the bumper to bumper traffic, selected my meager needs of pencils, pens, and Post It Notes and then moved on.  I escaped the crowd and headed for electronics, searching for the flash drives on sale at a ridiculously low price and was told, “Oh, those are  in SCHOOL SUPPLIES.”

While I’m back in SCHOOL SUPPLIES’ gridlock cart traffic again, I am suddenly drawn back in time by that unforgettable fragrance of crayons.  Fragrance, you say?  Yes.  It’s a fragrance.  Crayons are stacked around me in a variety of box shapes sizes, color mixtures, washable and those with warnings.  Warnings?  For crayons?  So time changes things, but the fragrance is unmistakable.  It’s crayons and crayons mean back to school time for everyone. 

I moved on down the aisle and the fragrance stuck with me as I picked up three of the bargain priced flash drives and consider the USB cords no student could misplace because it’s worn as a bracelet.   Finally, I backtracked to my shopping cart and headed to check out with my high tech school supplies.  But as I passed the crayons again I threw a pack into my cart.  It’s just an eight color box.  But when it’s time for going back to school doesn’t everyone need a new box of crayons?  By the way, do they sell Big Chief tablets anymore?

Let me know how you feel when school starts.   Do you feel the urge to buy some new crayons? 

Terri Clamons, author
Corporate Prince, ebook at amazon.com and The Kindle Store
The Toy Room, paperback and ebook at amazon.com and The Kindle Store

Cocaine Campus, ebook at amazon.com and The Kindle Store  
You are invited to visit my website: http://terriclamons.com
Please read and comment on my blog: http://blogbyterri.blogspot.com