THE RESOLUTION

It happened every year, the start of the school year I was resolved to NOT draw in the margins of my notebooks, NOT have to re-write my notes that needed to be handed in for a grade, and to attack each subject with zeal, vigor and dedication.

By the second day, I had drawings with technique that I had not tried before, drawings of teachers and classmates, and torn out pages for love notes to girl friends!

Of course, I would vow, the next notebook would be the neat one. Yes indeed, the next one would be it. Pristine and by golly neat!

Then there was the text book issue, of covering the books with brown craft paper, with all the folds, and nothing on it but the name of the book, neatly written in pencil. I would look at the finished product, and realize: The penciled in name of the book doesn’t really pop! So I get some colorful pens, usually one of those all-in-one pens that have a black, blue, red, and green ink cartridge all in one barrel. But what’s a book cover without a little color and illustration? But the next book cover, ah, that would be neat and clean, with nothing on it, just wait and see.

Of course clothes were always new. New shirts, pants, shoes, sneakers for Gym and gym uniforms, all new, the start of the school year came every year.  I would take care of them all, the gym clothes coming home on the last day of the week of class.

After a few weeks, when you opened my gym locker, there stood my shirt, shorts and what have you standing up straight, next to the socks, which stood tall too. The what have you probably never went home until June, in which I would just take it out to the back yard and bury it, then spend the summer listening to Dad wonder why the grass was dying in that particular area of the yard! 

Mom would periodically ask: “Did you bring your gym clothes home?” Then she started to say: “BRING YOUR GYM CLOTHES HOME SO I CAN WASH THEM!” To finally, “Please don’t bring those smelly things home without putting them in a bag!” Mom’s nose knew.  

In my old dotage, I have been on a tear, resolute in my beliefs that things need to be straightened up, fixed and categorized, in other words, I will be organized.  I fear something is wrong with me, I haven’t strayed from the plan yet, but with your prayers and good wishes maybe, just maybe something will get me off track.