The First Day of School.

It's a little bit crazy at home today. Tomorrow is the 1st day of the new school year. Tags are cut off new clothes, school supplies are organized (okay, stuffed) into backpacks and alarms are set 2 hours earlier then the kids have gotten up for two months. Yes, it's crazy and a little bit sad (mostly for the kids) but underneath it all there is a sense of excitement.

New Year, No Old Business.

The kids have a new teacher and some new challenges. There's a chance to make new friends and better yet, reconnect with some old friends.  Everyone attempts "best behavior" to start the year right. Sure there are some kinks in the system, but there is also a sense of leniency. After all it is the 1st day.  Too bad it's not the same once you become an adult.

For Some, But Not For Everyone.

As adults, we do start a new job from time to time. Or we move to a new neighborhood. Maybe we join a new congregation. Perhaps we volunteer for a new (to us) cause. Some (not me) join a new country club ( I don't have an old country club either). The difference between these examples and the 1st day of school is the scope of the change. Sure, when someone walks into job, etc. they experience similar feeling to the 1st day of school, but for everyone else it's pretty much another day at the office.  There is no grand feeling of everything new. There is no standard restart option.

Be The Change You Seek.

Why shouldn't we declare an annual 1st day of school for everyone. It's good for colons, cell phones and computers to undergo a master reset every so often. It's good for the kids, so shouldn't it be good for adults, too? It's time for adults to schedule a "1st day of school" at least once a year. It's probably not practical to legislate a national 1st day of school holiday (and besides how many appliance sales can be effective in one year?). Instead it's up to each of us to plan our own "1st day of school". Dress a little nicer. Bring with accumulated knowledge. Dispose of stockpiled garbage. Renew vision and attitude. Apply best behavior. Wouldn't it be good to be a kid again?


Do you have any ideas about a grown up 1st day of school? Agree? Disagree? Couldn't care less? Any thoughts about implementing a 1st day of school?


BLOGGERS NOTE: Yesterday, on her outstanding blog Waxing Unlyrical, Shonali Burke posted "Hitting the Reset Button". Although the emphasis is substantially different from the above post there is similar terminology. There is no doubt in my mind that Shonali planted the seed for today's post and therefore attribution is required. My apology for not including this in the original posted.  Added August 23, 2011 at 8:03 AM.