The first day of school. Oh, how I long for those days of innocence anticipation, leaving behind the summer chores and hunkering down for ten months of learning, spelling bees, National Geographic magazines and hanging out. We’d be kitted out in new socks and shoes along with fresh hair ribbons, a cartoon tin lunchbox and a wooden pencil case. Back then, the schools supplied all of the paper and pencils and books. Today, though, instead of golden sunlight and a haze of dust floating above the tar and gravel country road, we were treated to pounding rain, teasing glances of sunlight and sullen skies filled with dull clouds. I had an iPod stuffed with new books but there was no way I was heading…

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