Friday, August 25, 2006

Back to School

This morning as I step out of my front door I half expected to see my breath billowing out of my mouth. Not that it was really that cold, but compared to the last two days of 90+ degree weather, 67 this morning seemed shocking.

It was like Mother Nature new that it was the first day of school for most kids in Colorado and decided to act accordingly.

My mind seemed filled with thoughts about work and school and my life and I sat my rear down on the slightly chilled charcoal black interior of my car. Today is my last day of full time work for the summer. Next Monday I'll only spend half the day there and then make the trek over to campus for my first class of the semester. I started to realize that I didn't have books yet, didn't know where my classes were, didn't really know when they started and only half knew which professors I was taking. The nagging trepidation started to churn in my stomach, reminding me of the first day of middle school, high school and college.

I revved up the engine and took off to make my 6 minute drive to the office. As I slowed down to safely take the round-abouts in my neighborhood (which, BTW why are they there? They make no sense) I noticed a small girl, about 11 years old, standing on the sidewalk. She was slight, with shoulder length straight nut brown hair. She stood aimlessly and watched me drive by. After taking in her oversized black jeans, ill-fitting long white T-shirt, 3" wide black wrist band with a skull and crossbones and oversized black cross dangling from her thin, white neck I met her eyes.

I was shocked to note the same apprehension in the eyes of this little girl that I was feeling. I realized she was waiting on the corner, all alone for her school bus to come and whisk her away to another year of school. A year filled with both the promise and fear of the unknown.

At that moment I knew how she felt and it made me smile.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy Last First Day of School!
This is a bit OT but I wanted to let you know that I have been working on THE HAT. Here's what I'm thinking: it should be of a light sport ot fingering weight yarn, something soft and yummy like alpaca, knit on size 3 or 4 needles; it will be a provisional cast on, ear flaps added at the end (easier to knit the swirl that way), knit in the round. Let me know if this a plan you can work with & I'll write up instructions. I have a purple alpaca that I will test in - Katelyn should love it.

Courtney said...

:) aww. What a sweet post.

Good luck in school!!

k8 said...

did you also feel some relief that you don't have to go through junior high again like that poor little thing?

Katie said...

k8, actually that is exactly how I felt. I kind of felt bad for her.