The smell of chalk: Journey through time

Once in a while, a certain odour may titillate your nostrils: the smell of coffee in the morning; the smell of baby powder on an infant; the smell of grass after the rain; the smell of a campfire; the smell of the ocean at low tide; the aroma of an apple pie in the oven; the smell of sheets on the clothes line … maybe I haven’t mentioned your favourite smell … but I’m sure you’re starting to dream of it, a little.



A few years back, just before retiring, I had an old green chalkboard in my office at school, not very large, not very pretty, but extremely useful. The only problem with my green chalkboard … it was getting old … like me. Chalkboards also suffer the throes of time.

Since I was working part time, from September to December, a progressive retirement as it were, I thought my replacement might appreciate a reconditioning, a small face lifting, of my old chalkboard. I had no idea what I was getting into when I filled out the request to have my board repainted.



A few days later, a young school commission worker appears in my office. He wants to see my green chalkboard. He looks at it, for quite a while… the way he looks at it worries me. Even more disturbing, he is now looking at me… and the cat comes out of the bag.





Worker: Mrs. Jenner, I cannot repaint your green chalkboard.
Mrs. Jenner: Why not?
Worker: It is just too old!!!
Mrs. Jenner: What do you mean too old?
Worker: This type of chalkboard is not installed in schools anymore.
Mrs. Jenner: Why not?
Worker (a bit impatient): it’s outdated, ceramic whiteboards are installed nowadays.
Mrs. Jenner (a bit irritated): I’m sorry but I wish to keep my green chalkboard.
Worker: I can install a ceramic whiteboard on the other wall. Your replacement would be very happy.
Mrs. Jenner: If it will make the substitute teacher happy, then put the ceramic whiteboard on the other wall … but I am keeping my old green chalkboard!
Worker: OK, here is the request form to have a ceramic whiteboard installed.

On reading the instructions to obtain a lousy ceramic whiteboard, I retired, … in my mind.



Please choose one of the following:

1. Non-magnetic board for chalk.
2. Acrylic board for magnetic chalk.
3. Ceramic board for magnetic chalk.

(Guess which one I chose … none of the above.)

I reed the request form again and I put it neatly folded in the file intended for the substitute teacher, with the following note: I leave you the opportunity of selecting the ceramic whiteboard of your choice.

I close the file, take a look at my old, real chalk, board. The bell sounds the end of recreation. Two students come in. For the thousandth time, I take a nice white chalk, my faithful tool… like an old hammer for a carpenter… and for a moment I get a whiff of my favourite smell: the smell of chalk.



I was filled with joy.

Teachers, enjoy the start of the new school year…

Lyne

Photo of the little girl who always loved the odour of chalk … 1957… 1st grade of Madame Lorraine St-Gelais, Marie-Immaculée School, Les Escoumins and photos of the school through the years XXX