holding it together

 Was chatting with the wife when she mentions a particular glue we used in grade school. She described the bottle and the applicator tip. I immediately knew what she was talking about. It was that glue that came in a brown bottle with a red rubber top on it. The tip had a small slit in it so when you pressed down the glue would come out. The brand name had escaped me, but I sure could see it in my mind. When I got home, I went to the internet and found it. It's Lepage's #7. On the bottom it says, Grip Spreader mucilage. So being a curious sort I googled the word mucilage. I found out that mucilage is a thick gooey substance produced by plants. Also, a microorganism called a protists uses mucilage for locomotion. They move in the opposite direction of the mucilage they secrete. Well, that makes sense otherwise they would glue themselves in place. Hey, who knew that in grade school?

 That got me to thinking about school days. With the glue I was reminded of that white paste glue we used in kindergarten. It came in a white tub with a red cap. The cap had a stick attached to it for spreading. It was plastic, we used a wooden stick to eat ice cream. But it served as a sort of spoon when we ate that glue. And yes, we all ate that. I don't recall any warning labels being on that container saying we shouldn't. The crayons tasted awful! I loved kindergarten, you got to take a nap. Then in grade school that ended. But as a reward we got to use that Lepage's #7 glue as we were now responsible enough to have that privilege. I can honestly say I never tried eating mucilage. Years later I would try old #7 but it wasn't glue. We also got scissors that weren't plastic anymore. Our only warning was, do not run with scissors in your hand. 

 Yes, I remember having chalk boards and erasers. On a good day you got to "clap" those erasers. What fun that was creating a cloud of dust. Wiping off the blackboard wasn't nearly as fun as clapping the erasers. We weren't given N-95 masks to wear, or gloves, or any other protective gear. You know I don't think those janitors, that is what they were called back then, ever sanitized a single desk, chair or doorknob. We did have air conditioning though, we called that opening the windows. We went to the playground for recess and sometimes played dodgeball or kickball. Nothing like getting that big red ball to the face to wake you up.

 We didn't have a school resource officer or teachers' aides. The teacher had a paddle, and the principle had a bigger paddle. That took care of the discipline issues. You could be told to stand in the corner and face the wall. Nothing like a little public humiliation to get your attention. At least one teacher I had would make you put your gum on the end of your nose. In that way she could keep an eye on it, making sure you didn't stick it underneath the desk. If you didn't follow the rules, you didn't get a star! Yes, there was a star for "citizenship" and you were given a grade on that on your report card as well. The star system applied to every subject. You didn't get stars unless you actually earned them. They were posted, right there, on a chart in the front of the classroom. Gold, Blue and Red. 

  I remember taking my lunch to school in a metal lunchbox. My favorite was shaped like a barn and had a thermos. My sandwich was wrapped in waxed paper. I usually got a few cookies or maybe a banana. My thermos would have milk or some kind of juice. If I close my eyes, I can still smell that lunch box. It's a unique smell, familiar and a little bit sour. I did have a vinyl one later on but can't remember much about that one. Metal lunch boxes were banned in the early 1970's. Turns out they were assault lunch boxes! And those rubber straps we put around our books before we started using backpacks, well, they were banned too! Chalk is banned, corporeal punishment is banned, you don't get sent to the principal anymore, you get sent to counseling where the teachers get blamed for your bad behavior. 

 Yeah, school has changed a bit. And so has the glue! Today it's those silly glue sticks that don't hold anything! Maybe that old LePage's #7 glue could be used as a metaphor. When we were using that stuff things were held together, today not so much. And you know what? LePage's #7 glue was environmentally friendly. Plant based or at least microorganism based. Today glue sticks are required by an act of Congress to have appropriate warning labels attached. They have to say may cause skin irritation or may be harmful if swallowed. As I recall the only harm caused when I used them wrong was caused by the teacher. A good smack on the bottom or slap on the wrist. Quit eating that glue! There, warning taken care of. Didn't require an act of congress either. We all learned to hold it together though, no mental health advocates needed, no crisis intervention teams or phycologists. Do it right, earn a star. Do it wrong, earn nothing. Hey, not everyone got to use LePage's #7, you did have to earn that. Keep eating the glue and you were stuck in kindergarten. That's how that worked.