The memories of walking to school in the morning feeling tired but the cold frosty air wakes you up. Seeing all of your friends as you enter the gate, you say goodbye to your parents and run to the line. You join your friends as they are singing and laughing, as you wait for the teacher, people start getting impatient pushing and shoving. The teacher swings the door open with a big smile on her face, greeting you all as you come in. You walk into the corridor seeing the school statue, its a humongous bright blue boat, polished and able to see your reflection, you see this every morning. The smell of plasticine in the warm air. You struggle to reach your coat hook because you are to small. As you go to sit down on the rough carpet your friend begins to speak about their weekend, getting distracted from what the teacher’s saying. The morning starts and you hear a dinging sound, its the school bell, the teacher explains what’s happening for the day ahead. The irritating feeling of the carpet scratching your legs. The day goes by slow on some days but fast on others, before you know it its break and the atmosphere changes. The sweet smell of fresh fruit. Outside in the playground you hear a mixture of crying and laughter, you can feel the heat of the sun on your skin, the time goes by so quick at break. This is what it use to be like.

Now I walk the same route to the same school, I find my self walking through a completely different environment. Huge newly built brickwork apartments towering over my old route, but the frosty air still numbing my cheeks. Entering the main gates seeing the same building but different faces. Students have got older, teachers have moved on in life. I enter the building and look towards reception where Pauline used to sit, that sweet, old fashioned lady with her greyish-brown hair and a small piece of tissue peeking from her sleeve. Now it is a young lady, very hyper active, very alert as she asks if im ok. Her name is Poppy, I saw it on her name tag, dark hair with heavy make-up on. I notice very quickly that the smell of plasticine in the warm air has gone. It smells stale, and everything looks so small. The corner of my eye catches the school statue, I approach it, it looks abandoned with layers of thick dust on it. The colour has faded, it seems as if no one takes notice of this anymore. I run my finger along the rough edge and it reveals its original colour. I carry on walking down the narrow corridor, humbled by being able to look through the windows I hadn’t noticed them before. I have grown so much. I see the same head master, slightly older, dressed smartly as always. He greets me and asks how iv’e been. The next thing I know the bell is ringing for break, followed by a stampede of tiny people heading for the playground. I do the same, stepping out to what I once thought was a humongous playground. Not any more, i’m a giant, surrounded by fascinated little children. Hearing and seeing  the children singing and playing bringing back memories from when I was young. The whistle is blown and the children rush to class, it reminds me of travelling home in rush hour. I watch the children hurry into their classrooms leaving a deathly silence behind.  Time goes by so quickly in life.