Since my grandsons began attending public grade school, crossing guards have suddenly come onto my radar.
Crossing guards didn’t exist when I walked my mile plus to school (through snowdrifts, and uphill both ways!). My school bus ran a perimeter and picked up those kids who lived more than a mile from school. I quit riding it when one of my neighbors -- Tommy Mills, a big 7th grader! -- was a very serious patrol boy on our bus.
Crossing guards didn’t exist when I walked my mile plus to school (through snowdrifts, and uphill both ways!). My school bus ran a perimeter and picked up those kids who lived more than a mile from school. I quit riding it when one of my neighbors -- Tommy Mills, a big 7th grader! -- was a very serious patrol boy on our bus.
I talked smart to him one day, and he told me to sit down and be quiet, as he should have. At nine I lacked the social and spiritual skills to deal with shame and hurt feelings, so my solution was to refuse to ride the bus after that.
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| Crossing guard on duty |
Despite my foolish pride, the walk turned out to be delightful. The roads in our little community were Illinois level, and I picked up friends along the way who were finishing their breakfasts and happy to join me.
So while there were occasional patrol boys to keep order, crossing guards hadn’t been invented yet.
Here’s what these fine ladies and men do today. With their chartreuse vests and hand-held stop signs, these faithful guardians are found at busy intersections in all sorts of weather. Single-handedly they hold cars and trucks at bay while children, middle-schoolers, parents, joggers and dog-walkers cross safely under their watch. Their authority trumps the usual order of stop-sign etiquette.
At the intersection in the above photo, two ladies work a five-way stop in tandem to guide their charges safely through traffic. If a driver or a kid ignored the crossing guard, there could be chaos. The crossing guard concept succeeds because everyone pays attention.
It’s comforting for me to realize there is an All-knowing and All-seeing Crossing Guard who guides each of us safely through the intersections of life. She guides our steps through life's traffic with skill and alertness. Sometimes we may be told to wait at the curb, and we don’t know why. It’s all in the timing.
Life works best when each of us is patient and, more importantly, listens and watches attentively to know the right moment to go forward -- according to the wisdom of the Chief Crossing Guard.
So while there were occasional patrol boys to keep order, crossing guards hadn’t been invented yet.
Here’s what these fine ladies and men do today. With their chartreuse vests and hand-held stop signs, these faithful guardians are found at busy intersections in all sorts of weather. Single-handedly they hold cars and trucks at bay while children, middle-schoolers, parents, joggers and dog-walkers cross safely under their watch. Their authority trumps the usual order of stop-sign etiquette.
At the intersection in the above photo, two ladies work a five-way stop in tandem to guide their charges safely through traffic. If a driver or a kid ignored the crossing guard, there could be chaos. The crossing guard concept succeeds because everyone pays attention.
It’s comforting for me to realize there is an All-knowing and All-seeing Crossing Guard who guides each of us safely through the intersections of life. She guides our steps through life's traffic with skill and alertness. Sometimes we may be told to wait at the curb, and we don’t know why. It’s all in the timing.
Life works best when each of us is patient and, more importantly, listens and watches attentively to know the right moment to go forward -- according to the wisdom of the Chief Crossing Guard.
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