lunchbox

Clanking clumsily at my side, I put the box in its proper storage. I walked to the long table strategically placed against the wall, adjacent to her desk. I took my seat. Another day had begun. After standing to recite the the morning pledge I busied myself with with some basic problems and whispered to the boys beside me. It seemed like forever before the awaited moment...Then, at last it came. I walked back over to the wooden frame and retrieved the box. It was fronted by the Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers. I sat it down on the table. How did that dragon sticker get there? hmm...I quickly opened the latch and picked up the thermos. After flipping the lid, I drank. Mmm...so juicy. Underneath there lay slightly smashed two white squares. She had cut the ends! Man, it was really good now! The peanut butter stuck to my palate and I washed it down by the thermos. Lunch was so good.

And it hasn't been the same since.

There are certain memories you remember. Ones that you can smell and taste. They remind you of what life was like- maybe how simple it was. Maybe how some things were just more important. Maybe how each phase of the day took longer. These memories I often wish I could relive.

It just tasted better out of that lunchbox...

I remember creating countless plays for my imaginary football teams. And the rosters- in depth. Each person had a ranking, possibly falling if they were injured. That thin, acre strip of grass was my stadium. And the rustle of the Mississippi breeze gave the trees incentive to cheer. I scored alot of touchdowns those years. Broke alot of records. Lived alot of youth.

What memories...

Though I would never achieve those outstanding stats in my single year tenure as a li' dolphins running backer- and though the lunchbox that magically made things taste better became a crayon storage, Those memories are never lost. These mental photographs reconnect me to my days as a carefree little boy in Hurley, watching Dad wash vehicles and mom make hamburger steak. It's a way for me to feel...to sense that life doesn't always have to be weighed down with ways to survive our seemingly complex society. There's release in retaining that inner child. He tells me to go create, play and let the world worry with its problems.

Live free.