People are Funny

Now that my drive to school takes 6 minutes instead of two, I feel like a commuter. (I know all my friends in the city are rolling their eyes and shaking their heads at my ignorance.) No, it isn't the length of time that I drive; it's the people along my route that I can set my watch by, the predictable (and quirky) behaviors I see that give me a smile as I head to school in the morning.

As I drive along one of the main streets of town, there is a crossing guard at her post, waiting for youngsters to arrive on their way to school. She doesn't sit in her car like most crossing guards I see. This woman takes pride in her work and brings a broom with her. Most mornings I see her sweeping the edge of the street, clearing leaves and construction dirt away from the area. I want to nominate this lady for citizen of the year. Seeing her gives me hope for the day and and an optimistic feeling about people.

My school is near a nursing home, and drive along the narrow street that borders the home. Rain or shine, warm or cold, there is always a group of "health care professionals" from the nursing home outside having a smoke break. They stare vacantly as I roll past, apparently waiting for the nicotine to kick in so they can return to their duties inside. Several times a week, I see my favorite employee. She brings a lawn chair outside for her smoke break, and sets it up in the street! Chatting with her friends and inhaling deeply, she casually ignores the cars that have to maneuver around her just to drive down the road.

As I park my car at the school, I glance across the street at one of the school's "neighbors". It makes me giggle to see the sawhorse with the PRIVATE PROPERTY sign stationed at the end of his driveway. Apparently, this individual is so bothered by cars that may use his driveway to turn around in before parking, it became necessary to craft this blockade. I imagine this man carrying the sawhorse out to his driveway twice each day to protect his property from invaders.

I don't know any of these people personally, yet they are part of my morning "commute", and I'd wonder about them if their routines varied. These folks show me a glimpse of the good and the not-so-good in this world... an interesting way to start the work day.