That Day

The alarm slowly brought me to consciousness and I opened my eyes to

sunshine streaming in the window. I faced an open calendar day but so many will embrace what today is if you live by the educational calendar.

For those of us past those years we look back. For me there is a mixture of fondness and sadness.

I went to a small town school. There was no “who’s class will I be in” nor even any surprise about who the teacher would be. It was just a continuation along the 12 years and for the farm kids like myself a chance to socialize. Friendships were long lasting and often influenced by who are parent’s friends were. Life did indeed seem simpler then. We had rules and chores but a vast outside play world.

Fast forward a couple of decades to being the parent of children attending city schools. I suspect I was often as nervous as my offspring. Class sizes, teachers and friends were huge factors. Some years started smoother tha others and remember a scramble those Sept mornings were in the early years. It was always good to get settled back into a routine.

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There still isn’t a routine here 6 months in. I’ve enjoyed this summer immensely; I’ve not had so much sunshine and outside time since my mat leave in the summer of 1987. But pumpkin spice season has arrived and I wonder if now, at the usual starting point of new endeavors, will I get settled? Is there a grace period in retirement as you muddle along and then the light goes on.

5 years ago I started this personal blog (the house one dates back to 2006) and I remember how much I had to learn. I had wanted to start it with a back to school story and corresponding photo but alas could not find the picture. I’ve searched again and still can’t find it. I believe it resides in an album at my mom’s house. This time I have less angst about the missing photo and that particular story. Perhaps I will finally get it recorded next year on the first day of school.

In light of the countless social media posts today with back to school photo I did pull one from the archives. The albums, that 5 years ago, lived in boxes in the storage room are now chronologically arranged in the restored cupboard.

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Today was full; busy, productive and with a dusk/moon light bike training ride. I’ve done my lunch, organized my backpack for my return to work (2+ weeks off) and am blogging at 10:45. Maybe not that much had changed since I retired. Still pumping my days full; squeezing in fitness and friends. Tucking precious grandchildren time into the memory bank because all too soon it will be Little A turned into Young A that will be heading off.

Life cycles onward… And even though I had a better ending I’ve lost it as the thread moved over somewhere else. The gist of it was about continuing to learn as we age. That there must be more to retirement than just busy. And now — tomorrow is another day.

Bernie