October 8, 2011
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Day 27 First Day of School
First day of getting out of bed, going to school, and being on your own all day long. Then coming home to tell stories. I was so big and grown up. I laid out my clothes the night before. Did all my “Back to school” shopping and filled my pencil case. My binder had horses on it.
The ride to school took FOREVER. Long enough to sit and worry. Worry about the teacher, my classmates, school work…I’d been warned about horrible homework. I got lost trying to find the classroom. I tried very hard to not look lost.
With four chairs per table, and I sat in the first one, closest to the teacher. I was ready to be teacher’s pet. Mr. Bowke. Sideways, he reminded me of a triangle, with his tall, straight back and then middle that came out to a point. Mr. Bowke was big. From where I sat, he was even bigger.
One student had a piece of candy. I listened to every crinkle as they unwrapped it and slowly swirled it around their mouth. I couldn’t wait for lunchtime. Reaching for my pencil, I knocked the pencil box up and over. My face flashed red as it was raining pencils. All was quiet: even the candy stopped clicking against the boy’s teeth. Mr. Bowke stopped the class. He walked over to me, picking up the pencils. He put his hand on my shoulder and told me it would be all right. I believed him.
I bought my own clothes for the first day of school. I drove my own car to my first class. Being homeschooled from kindergarten through high school, my first day of school was in college.
