Publisher’s Corner

By Jenni Fasselin

With the starting of school, I have been a little reminiscent of days gone by. This will be the last year of my kid’s first day of school.
My youngest is a senior this year and yes, I’m sure we have college in the future. But really this is mom’s last first day of school. I can hardly believe it. For 24 years I have had the first day of school and now it’s over. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Should I be sad or rejoice and celebrate that I survived 24 years of school shopping, registering, and preparing for all those first days. I think I have a picture for every year. I treasure each memory.
As I think back the year that stands out the most in my mind is the year we had Roscoe.
This story might be better if Jeff Foxworthy was telling it. It starts of with, “You might live in the country when…”Your town hosts a showdeo. The showdeo has a greased pig chase. Your son wins the greased pig. The greased pig is so slippery it escapes from the back of your truck.
“You might live in the country when…”
The whole town stops what they are doing to search for the broken-hearted little boy’s greased pig. Someone from town finds your greased pig and delivers it to the broken-hearted boy. Also, that someone informs you you now have to replace Molly’s petunias that the greased pig destroyed when hiding from a whole town of people that went searching for said greased pig.
“You might live in the country when…”
The broken-hearted little boy is ecstatic about getting his pig back. Happy little boy takes his prize home and gives the pig the dog house to live in.
Momma makes both the greasy little boy and pig have a bath.
“You might live in the country when…” Little boy loves his new pig and names him Roscoe. Roscoe the pig grows up thinking he is a dog. Little boy treats his pig like a dog. The pig likes to be treated this way. The pig enjoys walks on a leash. The little boy tells his pig all of his secrets. The pig learns dog tricks. Sit, stay and rollover.
“You might live in the country when…” Happy little boy, is suddenly distraught over having to go to school and leave poor Roscoe home alone.
Momma soothes the little boy and assures him she will watch the pig while he is away at Kindergarten. Momma also bribes distraught little boy with cookies.
“You might live in the country when…”
The first day of school you walk your Kindergartener and his pig to the bus. Momma feeds dejected pig cookies for four hours till boy returns. Little boy returns home and instead of hugging Momma, hugs the pig.
“You might live in the country when…”
Your pig walks your boy to the bus. When you have a pig named Roscoe that chases the bus everyday, trying to catch it.
You might live in the country when…
Roscoe lays in the same spot and waits for boy all day after he discovers he can’t catch the bus or the boy. Momma is tired of broken-hearted boys and dejected pigs that need to be fed cookies.
Yes we live in the country…
Where it was perfectly normal for a pig named Roscoe to want to go to school on the first day.