Snapshot (first Day at Primary School)

My snapshot is of my first day at primary school. Why did I choose this picture? Well, because it was a totally new experience for me, essentially different to my first day at primary school because I had only been to nursery before.

There were a lot of things going through my mind when this was taken. I was experiencing emotions such as excitement, curiosity and anxiety, Excitement because I was looking forward to going to school, wearing my new uniform, meeting my teachers, talking to people, maybe even making a friend or two.

I would have been curious because going to school would mean a new environment, a new routine, and most importantly, new people. All of which I was completely unfamiliar with.

This leads on to my next emotion, anxiety, because you’re bound to be anxious when you don’t know how to behave in that situation, how to act towards people and how they will act towards to you. It gives you that feeling in your chest, you know the one, you get it when you’re feeling extremely worried yet mildly excited about what is going to happen. Almost like going on an adventure!

I can tell this was an embarrassing moment for me, because I have my usual smile on! It’s that cheesy smile I always have whenever I’m shy or embarrassed; the smile itself is embarrassing to be honest. This picture really does bring up some memories though, I remember it like it was yesterday, as overused as that phrase is.

It was a bright sunny day, which isn’t very common in this country, but nonetheless, no complaints either. I stepped out of my mum’s shiny, blue BMW as she wished me luck. I forced up a weak smile before closing the door.

I walked up the steps which seemed giant, as my heart was pounding…and I was a lot smaller back then too. I walked through the scarily huge playground, most of the other children were in groups, laughing and playing. How much I wished I could have been one of those children at that very moment in time.

It was as if everything had frozen, and everyone had just turned around to look at me. It was really intimidating you know, like when a pack of wolves spot their prey. That was the situation I was expecting. I was such a naпve child back then.

Suddenly, in the midst of all the glued eyes and open mouths, one of the boys came up to me, and said,

“Hello”.

Shocking, I know. So hastily, as if I was in a rush to give off a perfect impression, I replied,

“Hi.”

And the conversation went from there. I had made my first friend at school. I was really pleased! There was a huge smile on my face, and I didn’t feel alienated anymore. Everything had just suddenly fit into place for me.

But anyway, back to the story. A few minutes later, a bell rang, and I didn’t know what it was for. I thought it was a fire alarm. Honest, I did! So a teacher walked out on to the playground, and everyone around me had disappeared and formed a line at the other end of the playground. I was too busy concentrating on the sound of the bell to even realise it. I was back to square one. An alien and a stranger to this environment. I wondered how all the other children knew what to do and where to go. Surely, it was their first day too? Perhaps they had brothers or sisters at school, and they told them what to do. Or maybe they just weren’t as paranoid and conscious as I was.

Anyway, I jogged to the other side of the playground where a few more lines had formed adjacent to the first one. I quickly joined one of the lines, but then noticed that the other people in this line were a lot bigger than me, none of their faces looked familiar to the group of children I was stood with a few minutes ago. So I looked for that group, and found the boy that had greeted me waving at me to join that line, which I hurriedly