The Bus Stop Escort

I was going to originally title this blog, "Nothing to Complain About" so that I would be mindful every day as I posted that this wasn't a place to complain, gripe and moan about anything and everything.   Negativism never subtracts, it only multiplies.  

For the most part, I think I do a reasonable job of reminiscing, expounding and rambling on about things without the overall tone being negative (although I'm sure I've had my moments.)  Tonight's post though is going to be a complaint, so my apologies in advance.  

My neighbor and I run around the neighborhood early in the mornings from time to time.   Commonly, it's in the dark, even now after daylight savings time.   There are some people up at the hours we're running, but not a lot.    We noticed a car or two sitting, parked and idling with people in it on the side of the street and wondered what was happening.  We didn't figure out what was happening until we were running through that part of the neighborhood at the right time.  

It wasn't someone not from our neighborhood, we thought, because of the type and age of car.   It didn't look like someone staking out surrounding houses, but it was hard to tell much in the dark with their car dark inside it.    Then, one day we saw a school bus come into the neighborhood.    A child got out—older than elementary school—and headed for the bus.    When the bus was gone, the car turned around and headed back down the street to return to their house.

It wasn't just once and it wasn't in very cold weather either.  The bus stop for that street must be at the intersection where the car was sitting.   That street is only one block long after the intersection.   I don't know what it was like when you were young and if you had to ride the bus, but I didn't get an escort to the bus stop.

I've seen stopped cars at the entrance to our neighborhood on the curb with people in them in the afternoons as well.   Then I'd see a child get off a bus, walk to the car and ride off for the three blocks distance to their house.

I'm realize the media highlights all the awful and terrible things that can happen to children.   Is it fear from the parents for their child's safety?   I don't know the reason, but rest assured, I won't be driving my children to the bus stop when they're older—they can walk the two blocks and stand in the cold and rain just like I did.  

As much as I hated standing at the bus stop as a child, I had a good time with my friends.   It was a bonding experience and some of my best friends were my bus stop-mates.

The Big Boy Update:  My son was mad at me yesterday.  He told me, "walk away, I want you to move to a new house."

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Itchy.   My son has spent most of his life being itchy while my daughter has had friendly, easy to manage skin.   However, for the last week, her legs and arms have been itching her quite a lot.   We've been putting lotion on her to mitigate the symptoms.  We can't see anything specific causing the trouble; perhaps it's seasonal and related to all this messy pollen we're dealing with.

Fitness Update:  I ran five miles this morning and then walked two this afternoon while I waited for my car to be cleaned.   Walking isn't nearly as fun as running.