School Supplies

“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies." ~You've Got Mail

The appearance of aisles upon aisles of school supplies at Wal-Mart and Target always brings me mixed feelings. I am sad that the thought of school starting impedes upon my summer reverie, but deep down: I am profoundly excited. The annual trip to purchase new pencils, notebooks, folders, binders, and--if I was lucky--a new backpack was a highlight of my year. In fifth grade, I organized my six class folders in rainbow order--pink for the first class of the day all the way through purple for the last. Every time I would peek into my desk and see my tiny, hidden, personal rainbow, I would smile. As I got older, I was faced with the decision--what is my color this year? More specifically, what color of Five Star, 5 subject college-ruled notebook would I choose? Everything had to coordinate, you see. This decision was crucial, because it set the style precedent for the rest of the year.

Now that I'm on the other side as a teacher/librarian, my feelings remain unchanged. I still buy a new package of pencils and pens for my desk. They are fiercely guarded and never given out to students. Lesser pencils (like those found on the floor) are used instead. There's something about opening a package of paper, placing those pencils and pens in a fashionable pencil case that never gets old. They are imbued with promise and hope: This will be a good year. I'm going to be organized. This year is going to matter. One of the things I like most about being on a "school schedule" is that around this time, every year, is a new beginning. A chance to do things right. I think I will always wander through the aisles, no matter how old I am. I delight in the learning and knowledge that will fill each folder, each piece of notebook paper. And if you're lucky, you might just catch me indulging in my favorite of all back-to-school smells: crayons.