Back to School Memories

Step-on, board the time machine, for we are travelling back to our school days! I’m talking about High School. Some of us might be jumping in excitement, others of you, might not even want to think about it. I belong to first type and I can say my school days were indeed the best times of my life. I do have some of those instances which I don’t want to remember but they certainly thought me how to survive.

First Days : It’s amazing how any of us survived the dreaded first day of school (I joined a new school for my high schooling). There we are so small and innocent. As we walk anxiously onto this new terrain, mixed emotion runs through us. As we explore our new surroundings, we get stared, pushed, poked and prodded. After walking around like lost puppies for some time we find our room. My registration room was the science lab. Surrounded by skeletons and specimens in jars, it was like a scene from a horror movie.

Making Friends : It’s always a struggle to make new friends, especially when friendship groups have already been established. There we are, alone in the corner, staring at our feet and looking sorry for ourselves. It took me awhile to make new friends, but one day a very special person walked over. She briefly introduced herself and then day by day our friendship grew. Slowly many more joined; ten years pass by and still our friendship going strong. In fact, my school days just wouldn’t have been the same without them. To this day, we still find ourselves reminiscing our school days, wishing we could go back.  

The Uniform : At the beginning of the year we all looked as smart as possible with neatly tucked shirt, long skirts and knee length socks. By the end of the year, it’s a different story. By this point, the girls had pulled their skirts up a few inches, shirts half undone and hair a mess. Looking back, we looked ridiculous. It was also ‘uncool’ to have a large school bag, so I quickly ditched my huge bag, for a tiny one!

Teachers : School wouldn’t be school without our teachers. Some were good, some were bad and of course, we had our favourites, usually the ones who let us get away with everything! We wrote on the desk, broke the window glass while playing inside the class, jumping off the desks generally causing havoc. If we weren’t destroying classrooms, talking loudly during the class or making a mockery out of teachers dressing/walking style, we were sure to be causing trouble in others ways. There is no surprise we watched many teachers openly break down in front of the class. They would scream, and walk out of the room with tear filled eyes.

Games Hour : As the bell rings, so began a stampede of eager kids, stepping over each other’s necks to break free. Although the gates still surround us like prisoners in a cell, it was great to be out of that classroom. Whether we were getting dirty on the playground or having those hearty smile in the indoor games room, It was a time we could make all those special memories with our friends. The memories we find ourselves reminiscing decades later. For the proactive, we’d indulge in sports like running, basketball, volleyball and throw ball. Some of us loved a good old run around, others not so much.

Lunch Time : Let’s face it, our lunch box was never very appetising. We always look forward to know what your friends have got for Lunch and vias-versa. You always thought your friend’s mother was the best cook in the world. My mother would give me money to buy lunch sometimes, only I would spend it all at the sweet shop down the road. Having those sweets in the pocket and eating them during the class was fun. Those colourful ice candies you had after the school were heaven.

The School Bus/Van : As the school day has begun, we face the humiliation of tripping over our new school shoes and falling in front of everyone on the school bus. If we aren’t tripping over, we’re getting our scarves caught in the door or, worse still, as the bus takes off before we get to our seats. The bus driver, in his local 'mavali' attire, drives erratically over what seems to be every pothole in the road. We fly from one side of the bus to the other and back again. Feeling a little fragile, we finally find a spare seat. Reaching school was indeed an adventure. Travelling back was another adventure where you had to sit beside smelly kids. You never thought how smelly you were!

  

Sex Education : When the big boxed sized TV rolled out on squeaking wheels, we knew we were going to see some something exiting. Unfortunately, a baby shooting out of a blood-infested vagina wasn’t what we had in mind. Our mouths drop open as we witness more blood and mucous than a slaughter house! It not only made us feel a little light-headed but quite frankly it put us off sex for life! So, it turns out sex education was a bit of an anti-climax! Witnessing a complete slideshow of every sexually transmitted infection in history…we’re glad to the class was over.

Back then, I wanted to get out of school as soon as possible. These days, I look back on those times with nothing but nostalgia and a slight yearning to go back (just for a day at least!). Whether they were the best days of our lives or the worst; one thing is for sure…we miss those days…we cherish those days.