Next week the kids go back to school here in Greensboro. The summer is over, done, toast. Bring on the fall. It was a quick one. The kids grew up this summer. There is no excitement for new back packs, outlawed at school for safety concerns. No, they are not concerned for the children's backs, they are concerned about bombs and such being brought to school. Notwithstanding that, the kids are too " old " for that. For Mark, the sophomore, it is a back to work attitude. Gotta do it, but not happy about it. Morgan in her final year of middle school is more concerned with what fashion to wear. The whole thing is no big deal to either of them. Time marches on , as the saying goes, and so too the seasons. Seasons in life as well. You could say spring is over for the kids ( my grandchildren ) and they are beginning summer. Spring is the beginning, new birth, new life. Now summer follows where everything grows, then blooms. Metaphorically, they have entered the summer of their lives. The seeds have been planted. Now it is the time to grow and become whatever they are destined to be.
It is only when you get a few years behind you that you begin to see these patterns. Everything really does go in a big circle. The old gospel song, Will the circle be unbroken, comes to mind. I can look back and remember my school days. Sure things were a little different back then but the action was the same. We had different concerns, different attitudes. Still it was basically the same thing. The seeds were planted in elementary school, fertilized in middle and high school. Some went on to college, for an extended growing season while others went to work. Our summers were all long. Now I have made it to the fall. I am harvesting the fruits of my labor. That's what grandchildren are. I got to see my own children grow to full maturity ( sometimes that is debatable ) and begin a new cycle of growth. The grandchildren give us further hope for the future. They are a reassurance that we did do right. It is inevitable that one day I will enter the winter of life. It's cold there, and that is why old people wear sweaters ! I'm not there yet, but it will arrive and somehow even that is a comfort. It is just a part of the circle.
When I was a kid Mom would have done the shopping for school clothes. That was usually done with the Sears catalogue. The only thing we bought locally was shoes, to make sure of the fit. They had to last a good while back then. We didn't have back packs. We had those elastic straps we fastened around our books. They are outlawed as being too dangerous. " Book straps Blind " was the cry and they were banned. I'm not sure wish amendment covered that but I'm pretty sure our rights were violated. Three ring binders were the order of the day or those composition notebooks. No calculators, small pocket sized ones hadn't been invented yet ! Yeah, I'm that old. I do remember what a slide rule is and how to do basic functions with it. School days fondly recalled because we all wish a return to spring. Well we do have Christmas to look forward too. The biggest and best celebration of all. It is no coincidence that it takes place in winter. At least that is what I like to think. In years past I would be marking up the Sears Christmas Wish book long about October or so. I see where they have one online nowadays. I haven't gone to check it out yet but read it plays Christmas music while you browse it, page by page. Sounds like fun for a child, I just had to hum, but the times are changing. So, next week, back to school. More of a big deal to these grandparents than to the kids. And time marches on.
It is only when you get a few years behind you that you begin to see these patterns. Everything really does go in a big circle. The old gospel song, Will the circle be unbroken, comes to mind. I can look back and remember my school days. Sure things were a little different back then but the action was the same. We had different concerns, different attitudes. Still it was basically the same thing. The seeds were planted in elementary school, fertilized in middle and high school. Some went on to college, for an extended growing season while others went to work. Our summers were all long. Now I have made it to the fall. I am harvesting the fruits of my labor. That's what grandchildren are. I got to see my own children grow to full maturity ( sometimes that is debatable ) and begin a new cycle of growth. The grandchildren give us further hope for the future. They are a reassurance that we did do right. It is inevitable that one day I will enter the winter of life. It's cold there, and that is why old people wear sweaters ! I'm not there yet, but it will arrive and somehow even that is a comfort. It is just a part of the circle.
When I was a kid Mom would have done the shopping for school clothes. That was usually done with the Sears catalogue. The only thing we bought locally was shoes, to make sure of the fit. They had to last a good while back then. We didn't have back packs. We had those elastic straps we fastened around our books. They are outlawed as being too dangerous. " Book straps Blind " was the cry and they were banned. I'm not sure wish amendment covered that but I'm pretty sure our rights were violated. Three ring binders were the order of the day or those composition notebooks. No calculators, small pocket sized ones hadn't been invented yet ! Yeah, I'm that old. I do remember what a slide rule is and how to do basic functions with it. School days fondly recalled because we all wish a return to spring. Well we do have Christmas to look forward too. The biggest and best celebration of all. It is no coincidence that it takes place in winter. At least that is what I like to think. In years past I would be marking up the Sears Christmas Wish book long about October or so. I see where they have one online nowadays. I haven't gone to check it out yet but read it plays Christmas music while you browse it, page by page. Sounds like fun for a child, I just had to hum, but the times are changing. So, next week, back to school. More of a big deal to these grandparents than to the kids. And time marches on.
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