FirstDayofSchool

　　Thefirstdayofschoolhasthebiggestimpactonthewayapersonwilleventuallyturnoutinthefuture.If,onyourfirstday,youlook“cool”andpeopleseeyouascool,thenyou’llbepopular,butifyoustartoffyourdaybycryingandvomiting,thenpeoplewillavoidyounomatterhowniceorgenerousyouaretothem.Whycryingyouask?Cryingbecausethisisn’tanyfirstdayofschool.It’sthefirstdayofkindergarten.

　　Intheendofsummer1992,Igotintothesmallenclosedroomofanewandunknownworldthatmymothercalledschool.Onfirstarrival,Iwasscaredtoseechildrenmyagewiththeirparents.Ilivedonastreetwheremostofmyneighbourswererelativelyolderpeople.Ionlyhadafriendthatwasnearmyageandweplayedtogetherallthetime,butsadly,hewasn’tinSt-Lawrencewithme.Now,standingwithmymotherjustliketherestofthekids,Isawsomeparentsleave.Theylefttheirchildrentheretoplay.Mymotherlookedatmeandsaid“I’mgoingtogonow.Iwillbebackbeforeyouhavetoleave.Don’tworryeveryoneisverynicehere.”andgavemeapeckonthecheek.Ilookedatherwithbigeyesandaconfusedglare,wondering“Whyareallofushereatschool?”Sheslowlywalkedaway,turningbackafewtimestocheckifIstartedtominglewiththeotherkids.Istoodstillandlookedaroundtheroom.Noneofthechildrenwereplaying.Theywereonlytryingtokeeptheirparentsfromleavingthem.Iobservedoneofthechildrenwhostartedtocryandturnredintheface.Heyelledandpoundedonhisfather’slegs.IsawatablewithcrayonsandpaperandIjustwalkedtowardsitandstoodbesidetheminisculeseatwatchingtoseeifanyonewasgoingtostopmefromdrawing.NoonecamesoItookaseat,apieceofpaperandofcoursethegreencoloringpenciljustliketheonethatIhadathome.Whenotherkidssawmealreadyhardatworkwithmydrawingthatappearedtolooklikeavortex,theycameandsatdownwithme.Eventhatchildwhowashittinghisfathersawmeanddecidedthatschoolwasn’tasbadashethought.

　　Sincethatday,ImadealotoffriendswithwhomIstilltalkto.Forexample,Justinwhowasthefather-poundingkidandEmilythesweetlittleinnocentgirlofmyclass.Everycoupleyearsorso,wehaveareuniontoseehoweverybodyisdoingandiftheychanged.Ilikegoingandseeingthem,mostlytoremindthemofhowweallwereinkindergartenandofcoursetoseeiftheyrememberme.Theyusuallydoandtellme:“You’retheguythatlikedtodraw.”