After all the wedding business this morning, I took a trip to the mall. Suddenly, I was jealous that there will no longer be Back to School Shopping for me. You'd think this would have hit me earlier considering the fact that I've been out of college for four years and out of high school even longer, obviously. It's slightly scary to think about the fact that I went shopping for freshman year of high school in 1998. Um, how has it been that long? Where are the lockers? And the bookbags/backpacks? When did I last have a Trapper-Keeper?
For some reason, today, I decided that knowing I will never be shopping for those "impress your classmates" outfits until they are for my own children sort of upset me. Though I was never that kid who had a grandparent that gave her a dollar amount and took her into a mall, nor was I one of those Cherry Hill girls that walked out with armloads of jeans from Smith Bros, I do remember my mom taking my brother and me for a few new things, especially an outfit for the first day. A couple of weeks ago I was looking through old photo albums, and I was completely mortified by the things I thought were cool enough for that first day on the bus. Thankfully there are no first day photos from high school. I think we stopped that trend with sixth grade. However, cool or not, it was something I did every year. It is something kids all over the country do about this time. Now, they pick the skinniest jeans (both the girls and the boys, scandalous), the trendiest top, and the newest footwear. Don't you remember boys getting the newest Air Jordans or those weird sneakers with the pumps on them? What the hell was the point of that anyway?
Back to school shopping is sort of a rite of passage. You go from elementary school to middle school. Middle school to high school, and so on... For those that prolong the schooling experience, this yearly activity goes on and on. For the lucky ones that are teachers, something about Back to School Shopping still seems acceptable. New dresses. New shoes. New sweaters. Darn, I missed my calling. The one opportunity in life to excuse dropping a load of cash on all sorts of new wardrobe items. Why didn't someone include this memo when we took career tests in high school? Maybe I would have checked something more along the lines of educator instead of communications. Although, that test told me I'd be in advertising. Hmm... For most, you reach adulthood and the work world knowing that your parents will most likely never take you into the mall just to let you impress your friends. Be honest, we all know that's what it was really about.
Instead of walking into Abercrombie (and getting a headache from the cologne) or Gap with a blatant excuse for new duds, many - if not most - of us resort to buying new things as needed. We find a few seasonal staples, and we resign ourselves to spending money on things like rent, groceries, phone bills, etc. If you happen to work in a casual environment, like I did for a few years, new clothes are excused as work attire. If you're an office type, you get a new pair of slacks or a sensible pair of flats to go with last season's ensemble. Or, if you're like me and you work in a place with a uniform (white shirt, white apron, shitty jeans, non-skid shoes), you simply forget buying anything at all. Or, if you do, at least you know it will last a while because it will barely be worn.
Today I truly longed for any reason at all to say I needed some of the new clothes. And yesterday, in Staples, I wanted to buy a planner and notebooks just for the hell of it! What the hell do I need that for? Ah, right, I don't.
Anyone want to go back to school with me?
"You won't find me 'til the clock strikes three. I'm gonna be there 'til then."
I have been struggling with the lack of needing school supplies for the first time in 20 years. I crave notebooks, pens, and highlighters! So sad!
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