Heading back to school through the years in New Jersey.
This is a totally unscientific and opinionated theory ... but I think I know why it was harder to go back to school at the end of the summer when I was a kid than it is now.
We spent more time outdoors. School takes place indoors.
Climbing trees, for instance. This isn't a rant about "kids nowadays," it's simply a pragmatic look at the difference between then and now. Then, not as many homes had air conditioning as now; going outside didn't seem like a bad choice. There weren't as many things to DO inside, and again, I'm not making any judgments about imagination and creativity; there were only a handful of channels on TV and no videotapes or video games.
MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey
I think the main reason we saw the start of school with foreboding was that we'd spent most of our time outdoors all summer, and school was going to place us indoors for a solid seven hours. Add in how many new advancements have come to the classroom -- technology, activities and, in many, air conditioning -- and I'd bet we would have been just a bit more eager to go back.
Well, okay, maybe not "eager." Perhaps "accepting."
Here's a gallery of vintage photos of the start of another school year in New Jersey. And here are links to more galleries you'll enjoy.
Vintage photos of going back to school in N.J.
Vintage photos of schools and students in N.J.
Vintage photos of returning to school in N.J.
Greg Hatala may be reached at greghatalagalleries@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.