When the Last Bell Sounds

There is something about the last couple of days of school.  Not like I have been in school for a few decades or anything, but the knowledge of it officially kicks off my summer.  The sights, the sounds and the smells of the end of school bring back memories tinged with excitement, anticipation of the unknown and the giddiness that freedom from the confines of the classroom is right around the corner.  No other experience in life gives one the same lift in their walk as the sound of the last bell on the final day of school.

I am living vicariously through some of the kids I know.  They don’t appreciate the rite of passage that they are currently living through.  All they know is that the last days of school are filled with special end-of-school activities, mostly inconsequential class-work and little to no homework.  I can still recall the cleaning out of my desk, finding hidden treasures and the handing in of text books, the tossing out of old test papers, chewed up pencils and notes from friends depicting the trials and tribulations of unrequited love of the boy I sat next to for the all important concluding two weeks of school.

The purging of the classroom from the stuff that defined daily existence as we knew it (restroom sign-out, geography conquests, classroom assistants, homework assignments) made the room feel stark and lonely but clean and uncluttered.  As one participates in the eradication of the accumulated treasures, the memories of the year pass by.  The nerves from the spelling tests dissolve; the jitters from the class play are put aside and the hysteria from the squid dissection melt away into a silent chuckle.  The self-proclaimed tough guys become only notable in their own minds, the chatty-Kathy’s cruise into the summer sunset oblivious, and the shy and unassuming grow two inches in confidence and self assurance.

The pull of summer is so intense that it is easy to forget the banter of the school year.  Bedtime rituals are thrown out and lazy mornings become the norm.  Sleepovers and family vacations are greatly anticipated.  It almost seems that you change habits, foods and attitudes the minute you walk out of the school and into summer.

Come to think of it, it’s kind of like (as an adult) when you walk out of work for a holiday or vacation.  Those years of conditioning from school come in handy when the prospect of escape from the real world lies in the wait.  If you ever wondered what you really learned from all those years of schooling, this could be it.  How quickly you can adapt is a direct cause and effect from those polished proficiencies practiced from elementary through high school years.  How you build up and release is a honed skill that should not be looked at lightly.

Carpe Diem! Let your inner child out for vacation, sit on the beach noshing on a Slurpee and enjoy the brain freeze of summer.  Allow your nostrils to take in the summer breezes and let the warmth of the sun envelope you with a hug – go ahead, enjoy it – you deserve a summer break.

Cynthia A. McClelland, curious observer of the obvious with interpretations of the oddities of daily life.  Mother, wife and lover of the furry, resides in the north Lake Tahoe area.   

Cynthia A. McClelland © 2003-