I signed up for a watercolor course at my art supply store. The first class was today, and I had forgotten what the first day of school felt like. (The first day of a new grad school class is not at all like the first day of third grade.) As I stood nervously arranging my brushes, lining them up, picking them up, and lining them up, I immediately recognized that feeling: the urgent need for the teacher to like me, the concerned hope that my supplies would be adequate, the cautious inspection of fellow students and sniffing out of new friends. I remembered the smell of new crayons with their utterly smooth tips and the clicky latch of a new pencil box. Since I have always loved art supplies, the delight in those things always distracted me from the whirring of my tummy.
What was the first day of school like for you? Do you have any pleasant memories of the first day? How did your experience change throughout your schooling?
