I drive my kid to school most mornings. I'm often reminded of the scene in "Mr. Mom" when Micheal Keaton drops his kid off for the first time, the Mom's start yelling at him because he's going the wrong way. There is a proper morning etiquette and most people follow it. Without it, mayhem would be inevitable. I see the disappointment on the crossing guards face when a driver disobeys the rules. Some mornings parents are distracted, on others they're simply stupid.
The little kids that walk are just too cute with their humongus backpacks and hip little get ups. The big kids have that "I'm so cool" attitude all ready. Some of the parents share a friendly wave. Sometimes I see a parent carrying a tray of silver foil that protects precious birthday cupcakes. Other days it's a student with a giant poster board filled with historical facts blowing against the wind.
I enjoy watching all of the various interactions. I like to imagine how the children may grow and change, and watch the developing personalities. Some look like twins to a parent, while others bare no resemblance.
For this small part of the day it all works like a well oiled engine.
I know lives are not simple. There are millions of stories, and my daily view is just a microcosm. But every weekday for fifteen minutes I get the chance to pretend every family is a happy one.
