Those were the days

While out doing a few chores around noon yesterday, I walked smack dab into the local school's lunch break.

How did I know? Because I was overwhelmed by kids filing across the street, into the coffee shop and the food store, purchasing an array of junk food, fried foods, pop, rich creamy shakes and candy. Not an apple or a salad sandwich in sight.

Reminded me of my school days, when we used to order from the tuckshop (school canteen) on Mondays. My mum would insist I ordered a salad sandwich and a piece of fruit, but once out of view, I changed the order to two finger buns and a chocolate. Ah, teenage menus!

Now, I don't really care that kids are out spending their or their parents money willy nilly - not my concern, and I might have done the same thing if we were allowed in my school days. But what's with the out-of-school-at-lunchtime thing, and the out-anytime-there's-a-break thing? Doesn't anybody want to sit and talk and play basketball or cards or tweet together while on breaks? Get a head start on homework? Read a book and relax? Enjoy the schoolyard?

Okay, so I probably don't really care about that either. But it does seem a shame that so many kids would rather head off campus instead of staying around school and experiencing all they can while they can in the schoolyard. The lessons I learned in the schoolyard fully equipped me for the outside world, and some days I would give anything to be back there, learning those lessons over again.

Maybe I'm just old, or ignorant about the bullying and comparing and oneupmanship that goes on at school these days. But I have to admit, there are times when I wish I could relax with friends in the schoolyard and enjoy the simpler things in life. The bigger world is not always a great place to be. So, I don't understand the hurry to get out into it.