Writing Sample

This summer I worked as a custodian and groundskeeper at my high school. School started the day after my job ended. The transition was not as smooth as one might think. The differences between working at the school and learning at school are vast and daunting.

The first and most obvious difference is the sheer number of people present when school is in session. The quiet calm of the halls is transformed, within the space of only a day, into a bustling, loud, rude setting full of eager students and wary teachers. My lonely, aimless wanderings of the summer became hurried marches through crowded corridors.

Then, there are the teachers who direct the traffic. These teachers are much more relaxed and calm without the presence of many students whose behavior must be regulated constantly. Teachers act much differently in an empty school.

Here I am, stuck in the middle. My body is attending classes and typing essays, but my mind is in the place it was when I was doing hours of mindless weedeating. I'm having trouble recognizing instructors as authority figures. It wasn't long ago that I was master off the classrooms - with my feet on the furniture and food in my mouth.

Of course, I realize the neccessity of rules in a place like this. In a building containing dozens of hormone charged bodies, the only thing preventing total chaos is a strict set of regulations. My problem is that I haven't adapted to the regulations and the presence of the bodies that require them.

What the cinnamon candy represents is something that has not changed. Hank, the head custodian, always had a small tray of candies on his desk. During the summer I took a candy every now and then when I needed a respite. I was always welcome to them. Now I still sneak one from time to time when I feel especially deserving.

The candy is my private sanctuary. It is helping me cope with this strange crowded place. It may be silly, but I've found that in this turbulent world, one of the few things that can always be counted on is candy.