Ode to the First Day of School

For some time I've considered the start of school following Labor Day to be a cruel and sinister joked played on poor innocent members of the academic community. Perhaps it is more than slightly ironic that students and teachers begin their days of labor after a day celebrating labor, when in fact, they have not labored for nearly three months.

Bittersweet joy follows the end of rest on Monday and the beginning of work on Tuesday. The absence from labor has ended, the days at the shore over, the tan will soon fade, but at least plaid and wool will soon be in season.

And on another note, in attempts to combat the end of summer and the end of the day without labor, today I wore white--not in defiance of those sacred fashion Labor Day rules, but rather in celebration of another summery day, that without the calander could be just and pleasant as the last day of school.