I mismanaged my time in the morning making me late to Lakeside School. When I got there, I tried to conceal my nervousness about the day. After all, I wasn’t quite sure what was expected of me and my self esteem was plummeting when I saw so many people already happily performing tasks. It helped calm me down when the kindergarten teacher saw me and quickly checked on me, asking me what I knew about a project. I was put at ease by his gentle approach and demeanor and spoke honestly, saying I really didn’t know much. With an understanding nod, he ambled off and I walked towards the classroom. Once there, I checked out the day’s scheduled tasks on the board and saw something I knew I’d be good
What a difference 3 decades makes. As a child in the 80’s, I was afforded freedom that is hard to create for children today. The cliche idea of walking in the house after school to dump my bag and grab a snack, only to go right back out, knowing I wouldn't return until the sun set and dinner was on the table, was my life. Looking back, those few precious hours each afternoon feel like the entirety of my childhood; pedaling up and down State Street and eventually Walker Rd., dropping my bike at stream crossings to get down near the water just to see what’s what, and to come home feeling as if I’d explored places for the first time. The cast of characters changed every afternoon and it would h
