Despite record thermometer readings, summer is coming to an end. It’s probable that the hot weather will linger for a month or more, but the free for all fun of a kid’s summertime is coming to a close.
In the dental office, we can always tell when school days are near. There’s usually an uptick of pediatric appointments as families try to get all of their kid’s dental work completed before attendance days and extracurricular practices roll around. Stay at home parents get that hopeful glimmer in their eyes, as the return of a structured, scheduled life beckons on the horizon. You can always tell who teaches because they are the few adults as bummed as the kids. The excitement builds and builds until the first day of school. After that, time just flies until Thanksgiving rolls around. The modern day circle of life continues.
It’s embarrassing to admit, but most of my memories of the first day of school have nothing to do with classrooms or books. Actually, my first day of school memories revolve around that new pair of clothes, boots, or tennis shoes (that’s what we called all athletic shoes, though we never really played a lot of tennis in them) that were laid out the night before. Even before sales tax holidays, school starting meant that Mom took you to the discount stores (we went to the ones where they cut all the tags) and made you presentable for the school year.
Among my many fashion mistakes, I remember parachute pants and a London Fog jacket. There was a spikey hairdo with way too much gel and hairspray from the Sam’s bulk hair product aisle. Somewhere along the line, I owned a pair of turquoise monogrammed banana yellow Chuck Taylor Converse All-Stars. They went well with my neon Ocean Pacific t-shirts (sleeves rolled up…of course). I must also admit to a pair of those fly away Z. Cavaricci pants with fold-in wings. I’m pretty sure that I sported a mullet in eighth grade to go along with the pants. The mullet probably went well with my friendship bracelets.
Along with the bad, I remember a few classy additions that cropped up. Black Reebok high tops and my first pair of Red Wing boots. Wrangler Cowboy Cut jeans found their way in and out of my closet through the years. Levi’s 501s have always been a staple. Starch came later. Those old Tommy Hilfiger collared shirts were pretty classy, but few and far between in a three kid family. I still remember my Dad taking me to a business dinner and buying my first one at Dillard’s. As for the hair…well, let’s just agree that I was never blessed with cool hair. Or maybe I just a bad barber.
The moral of the story is a simple one. When your kids walk out the door for their first day of school this year, take a picture. Heck, take one every year. Some day you will be able to look back and laugh. I sure would.
Until next week, keep smiling.
-Please send comments to Drs. Parrish at www.ParrishDental.com.
