My Back-To-School Memory: Childhood friends are like Godiva chocolates

They say you can’t go home again. That each moment, each memory, is a snapshot of your life frozen in time. An old snapshot came to life in vibrant color for me a few years ago. My mom cheerfully informed me that she received an e-mail from a childhood friend of mine — someone I haven’t seen for close to a decade. And then, not even a week later, a picture arrives in the mail of another childhood friend’s beautiful baby girl. And all the while, my best friend, Brandy, and I chuckled as we exchanged stories about our “adult lives.” As we prattled on, I couldn’t help but feel like something of an outsider, like I’m stepping into over-sized shoes that don’t quite fit. Then it dawns on me: My friends are all grown up. What does this mean for me? Is my childhood slipping away like an old photograph, turning yellow around the edges from the ravages of time?

My best childhood friend Brandy and I met in third grade. She used to come over to my house every Thursday after school, where we’d play board games and snack on barbecue chips. When we’d had our fill of the greasy treat, we’d trek out into the grassy backyard with our fox tail, a rubber ball affixed to a long, multicolored nylon sock. By nightfall, our little bodies were so tired that it was all we could do to eat a huge plate of spaghetti and do our best to answer the Before and After puzzle on Wheel of Fortune. We were spent, at least until the following Thursday when the routine would start all over again like a well-oiled machine. That’s what Brandy and I were: a well-oiled machine. We went together like peanut butter and jelly. Like milk and cookies. Like Mr. Rogers and his red sweater. Our gears turned in a synchronous rhythm. For the first time, Brandy — and the rest of my peers — saw me for who I was. I was part of something, whether we were merely playing tag on the playground or memorizing our spelling words. My wheelchair — and my disability, for that matter — vanished into thin air. I could at long last simply be myself. It was one of the most refreshing things I’d ever felt.

My sister once said that one taste of sweet Godiva chocolate turned her taste buds off to all other chocolate. My childhood friends are my Godiva chocolates. No matter what new and exciting friendships I embark on, they’ll pale in comparison to my childhood chums — the people I grew up with, who knew me inside and out and left their stamp on me. Everywhere I go, everything I do, my friends are with me. I’m a walking collage of my past friendships; the photograph of who I was, who I am and who I become is assembled by every friend who’s ever walked through the door of my life. My wise mother has repeated an old saying to me nearly every day since I was four years old: Make new friends but keep the old…one is silver and the other’s gold. Like those gooey, sweet Godiva chocolates, I wouldn’t give up my friends. They’re all wrapped in shiny gold paper. I’ll carry them in my heart wherever the tide takes me.

[Photos via We Heart It]

Awkward Years Project

Ask anyone about going back to school, and they’re likely to bemoan the same rite of passage: Class picture day. You remember those classic photos — the deer-in-the-headlights shot that speaks volumes about just how terrified you are. That’s the idea behind the Awkward Years Project, the hilariously real tumblr that features people holding awkward teen photos of themselves.

They also share the life lessons they’ve learned on the path from awkward teen to awesome adult. Bravo! Proof that acne and dorky glasses will be worth it in the long run… xoxo

[Via bforbel]

My Back-To-School Memory: Christina’s story

Just like last year, this week will be about all things Back-To-School — the fun, the jitters, the sweaty palms. I’m excited to kick things off with Christina from Because of Madalene, who shares her back-to-school routine, as well as all the emotions that go along with starting a new school year. I’d love to feature your memories, so feel free to send them to mellow1422 (at) aol (dot) com. Can’t wait to hear from you, friends! xoxo

My 10-year high school reunion is coming up this winter, and I’m starting to get those back-to-school butterflies again! Who am I going to see? What am I going to wear? What will they think of my bangs? Which cuties will still be single? All thoughts I still had back in the day, every first day of school.

This natural and exciting experience is one of my favorite childhood memories. Being the youngest of an older family, summers were quite lonely — a lot of Wonder Years reruns, grilled cheese sandwiches and not too many friends to call since most of them were traveling, camping, etc. My family didn’t go on too many trips when I was a kid, so as much as I looked forward to a break, I was always ecstatic to return back to school and be social and active again! The week before school was always the most fun and rewarding. It’s almost like it became a treat for having to stick out a long and hot summer. My mom would take me to what used to be Mervyn’s and let me pick out a whole new fall wardrobe and Jansport backpack for a fresh new start of the school year.

“Mom, I’ll die if my classmates see me in the same old clothes as last year! And my backpack surely has holes in it by now from the 20-pound load I had to drag around.”

Next stop: Thrifty’s (now Rite Aid) where I would get to purchase all new mechanical lead pencils with crisp, clean erasers on their tips, white out, neon graphic folders, notebooks, colored pens, highlighters, etc. The school supply aisle was my favorite aisle in every convenience store. When my mom or dad had to do a boring errand there, I would run to this bright aisle every time and pass the time away until it was time to leave. They always knew where to find me. I would think of all the colorful items I would get if it was the first day back to school and remember what to get for next year. So when it finally came to be the week before, I couldn’t wait to bolt down that aisle and get everything I could remember from previous trips. I can’t forget the ice-cream shaped erasers! Oh, and the sparkly pencil case! I was never fond of the process of school. I loved the social aspect of it, but doing homework, presentations and tests…I dreaded. And although you would never know it from my grades, school was hard for me. I was a slow reader, poor test taker and took hours longer than most classmates to study and finish homework. I was too young to realize this then, but picking out all new supplies was my therapeutic way of helping me get through the feared tasks ahead. And just for a moment, this little distraction made me forget about the stressful year to come. And I was happy and carefree.

Orientation was always something I looked forward to. Where are all my classes? Will it be easy to get from one to the other? Who are my teachers? Which friends have the same classes? How many books am I going to have? Will my picture look okay? The anticipation was thrilling, and although also a bit scary, I remember loving that feeling. It was new, different and exhilarating. Then the first day back finally comes. I never slept well the night before because the nerves were too much. I would get up extra early, make sure my backpack was organized and held everything I needed to be fully prepared for the day, including all the fun little goodies from Thrifty’s. I could hardly eat breakfast because my stomach was in knots, but I was ready to finally live through the unknown. Which cute boys will I get to sit next to? Will my teachers be nice? And in a matter of a few short hours, it was all over just like that.

It’s amazing how much all those nerves, excitement and anticipation would evaporate as soon as the first day was through. Routine kicked in quickly and school became the norm again like every other year in the past. And as fast as this would happen, I would still get those butterfly feelings the next year and the next because back-to-school was fun, and getting to see my friends every day again was a treat. I’m lucky if I get to see my old school friends once every couple of months nowadays. And as much as I love being independent and having a career, I truly miss those days of being excited over something so normal and simple. A memory I’ll never forget.

–By Christina from Because of Madalene

Back-To-School Week: What is your favorite school memory?

For the second year in a row, I’m so excited to announce Back-To-School Week on So About What I Said. Next week will be all about the fun and anticipation that goes along with the back-to-school buzz. New friends! New schools! New classes! New school supplies! I’ve got lots of goodies planned (and some special giveaways…), and just like last year, I’d love to have you guest post, friends!

Here’s what I’m thinking: What’s your favorite memory from your school days? I know you’ve got some cool stories to tell, and I’d love to hear them! Feel free to email your stories to mellow1422 (at) aol (dot) com, or send them to me on So About What I Said’s Facebook page. Can’t wait to read your stories, friends!!! xoxo

[Photos via Pink Persimmon and Milk magazine]