Monday, August 04, 2008

Woof! Woof!

As Phil Wilson notes in his blog, these are the dog-days of summer--those days which are hot and draining and which seem to lack any motivation for action. Those days which we would readily wish away if we could. Like him, I find very little to write about on my blog and very little happening in my brain.

However, many schools begin this time of year (why, why not wait until after Labor Day and be a little cooler???).

There are so many memories retired school teachers have this time of year--students, particular schools, and smells. Yes, smells.

Remember the smell of a new box of crayons? Or the smell of the pencil-sharpener "catcher" when you took it off to empty it? Or the smell of the school when you walked in on the first day--mostly soap, Pledge and wax. That smell when all the sweat, blood and tears of the former year are gone and the clean shiny halls promise a new, better tomorrow.

For a librarian, it was the smell of new books--all stacked in boxes and waiting to be put on the shelves for readers to enjoy. I do miss these new beginnings that come every year.

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