Write about School Lunches

Write about school lunches suggested Anne Lamott in her book about writing, I’m reading to help me write the novel I’m writing. Writing about school lunches is supposed to kick in some memories, bring out something worth keeping to put in the novel.

For me school lunches were actually remarkably similar everyday—a peanutbutter and jam sandwich everyday. A juicy orange every day. My mother was a big believer in a citrus fruit everyday to prevent scurvy. It worked. We never acquired scurvy. We didn’t catch many colds either. And a cookie everyday—homemade or sometimes store-bought. That was it. My lunch. We weren’t allowed to trade lunch items. I don’t know whose rule that was, but we weren’t allowed so we didn’t. I gobbled the lunch down and went out for recess with the rest of the kids after post-lunch devotional and prayer led by the teacher.