December 9, 2009

As I passed the church pre-school this morning I noticed a little fellow, 4 years old maybe, hauling a wheeled back pack across the sidewalk. What on earth can a 4 year old require at pre-school that he needs a back pack with wheels? And what kind of mindset does this create at 4 years old that we need to go through our days lugging around so much stuff? Maybe you need a lunch or your favorite stuffed toy to keep you company. Do you remember when going to kindergarten meant choosing a lunch box? It was a rectangular box with a lid that opened on the large side. It had 2 snap clips to close and a short handle on top. Each year the designs changed depending on what cartoon character or TV show was popular. Mothers packed a change of clothes to be stashed in the child's cubby. High school students carried their books under their arms, their lunches in a brown paper bag. Then someone invented the school back pack. Initially it seemed like an advance. No more hunched backs from clutching a pile of books to your chest. Now the back pack could be filled, zipped against the weather and worn high on the back supported by a strap over each shoulder. That was the theory anyway. The reality was somewhat different. Backpacks became another way to identify. The cool kids wore them slung over one shoulder only. Middle schoolers decorated them with a multitude of key chain fobs. Elementary school backpacks came disguised as teddy bears or pre-printed with the characters from the latest TV show. Eventually it evolved, as have suitcases , and now we have a back-pack on wheels for the pre-kindergarten set.