Back to School Memories...

After a long hot summer, today is the first day of school and as if on cue, the clouds rolled in and there is a cool breeze outside. There are plenty of long hot days left, but the beginning of school marks the downhill slide of summer. I asked my son as he was getting ready for school this morning,  if he wanted me to follow him to school and get a picture of him in the parking lot and he just mumbled no and walked out of the room (Juniors have no sense of humor), I can't imagine him not wanting me to capture this moment in time. The first day of school brings back so many memories, the smell of freshly waxed floors... New books, new shoes, fresh notebook paper

and sharp crayolas. Someone  posted the other day that you knew you were from Tulsa if your elementary school playground was concrete and you had to walk through an underground tunnel to cross 11th street (gosh, that scared the bejeezes out of me when I was late getting out of school). In Junior High, the fear of all things new which included riding the city bus to school instead of walking. High school was amazing! The freedom, the fun, it was great.

Will Rogers High School is on the National Registry of Historic Places as an extraordinary example of Art Deco architecture.Besides being an amazing building, it was a time when we were treated more as adults. The loosening of ridged restrictions like chewing gum or being able to bring a Coke to class, made us feel all grown up. Now I am all grown up.... No little hands to hold during that first day back. No lunches to pack or clothes to lay out. Just memories of back when....