Progress

Ready to go.

The kids are back in school. I went to the bus stop with them as I have every year. I took the camera,as always,and embarrassed them properly. It is a yearly ritual. The years go by quickly. Next year, Mark, the oldest,will be going to middle school and taking a different bus. Not sure if I will see him off or not. He will have to leave pretty early in the morning.

I enjoy seeing all the children dressed in their new outfits. All neat and clean. Carrying their new book bags. The promise of another year bright before them.

The little ones nervous and a bit anxious. The seasoned veterans all non chalant about the whole deal while secretly having anxiety attacks. The talk of what teacher you have and what teachers are mean and give a lot of homework. It is an introduction to fall.

As I was taking in the scene, I remembered how we used to have book straps,sometimes called book bands,instead of those backpacks. When I got to work I was talking with some of the younger people and they had no idea what I was talking about. I wonder when they went out of style and common use ? We still had them in 1971. I wonder when the kids started using backpacks ?

I tried locating one on the web but had no luck. Typing in " book strap " got me a definition of what it was and lots of websites selling bookbags ! Tried book bands and all I got was websites where you could " book a band." Not planning any party so not interested.

I can remember my book strap. It was a dull orange color. It was flat,made of rubber and had a hook and eye fastener. Could buy them at the five and ten cent store for less than a dollar. I don't recall one ever breaking. It worked real well and didn't hurt my back,which I hear, is an increasing problem with the pack backs. It is just something I have noticed. When we went to school we pretty much only carried our books and maybe a pencil box. The geeks did have pocket protectors ! Now those backpacks are stuffed full of things. Paper,pencils,crayons,hand sanitizer,sweaters and I can only imagine what else.

Like a woman's purse, they may contain just about anything. LOL

I have noticed we Americans in general have taken to carrying around more and more items every where we go. Folding chairs,up to and including those love seat ones with a table in between,umbrellas,I-phones.I-pads,Kindles,sport drinks,water bottles,backpacks,totes and carry alls. Some of this stuff we put on wheels ! All the comforts of home. And that is just to go to the local soccer game at the playground.

Ah,for the simpler days and times. Wrap a book strap around those books,the ones covered with the brown paper grocery sacks,decide whether to wear a sweater or coat and off you go. Same with going somewhere else,sans the books.

It did occur to me that those book straps may have gone by the wayside but snuck back in. Now they call them, bungee cords ! Round elastic material with hooks on either end. Definitely not cool to put on your books and go to school. I can only imagine what the other kids would say about that. 

And then one last thought about all that. I suppose if they did still make a book strap and it failed they could be sued ! Or even if  it just sprang back and hit you. Lawsuit ! Unless the proper warning labels and liability statements could somehow be embossed on it. I can see where they could be a dangerous item. A potential weapon even. Not that I ever did it, but you could launch a pretty mean spitball with one of those things.

So,I guess it is best to use the backpack. A bad back is better than losing an eye ! Progress folks. Progress is a wonderful thing.



and they're off !