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By Lee Hale

My editor, Steve Drummond, isn’t that old of a guy. He’s from Michigan — Wayne Memorial High School, class of ’79.

But when he starts talking about backpacks, he dips into a “back in my day” tone that makes you think of a creaky rocking chair and suspenders: “You know, Lee, when I was in school, no one had a backpack!

“You just carried your books in your arms.” He says it like he’s talking about sending a telegram with Morse code. “No one really thought about it, that’s just what you did.”

And, like all good memories, he tops it off with some commentary about the younger generation.

“Nowadays, backpacks are everywhere. It’s almost impossible for younger people to imagine a world without them.”

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