Thursday, September 20, 2012

Jaywalkers

“Bob, hold my hand. Let’s run for it.”

“But Mom, this is jaywalking. Isn’t this jaywalking?”

“It’s okay, we’ve got time. Let’s go.”

We stepped out between two parked cars and hand in hand, ran across the street. A woman came around the corner behind us as we reached the curb.

“Oh, please don’t do that you two!”

It was Lillian, the crossing guard who worked the front of the elementary school. She was on her way to work, stop sign in one hand, her tiny dog Candy in the other. Lillian has worked the L-shaped double cross walk in front of the school for more than ten years. When Lillian calls in sick, they don’t replace her with another crossing guard, the replace her with a police officer. Sometimes two.

“Seeing you cut the block like that just stops my heart. Cars can come zipping around the corner and before you know it, a tragedy happens. Always cross at the cross walk. Please don’t do that again!”

“See, Mom? I told you!” Bob said, loud enough for Lillian to hear.

“Your boy knows the rules! Listen to him!”

“You are totally busted, Mom.”

“I am. We won’t do that again.”

Since then, each time we drive past the area where the jaywalking incident occurred, Bob feels the need to remind me.

“Remember when you got so busted for jaywalking by Miss Lillian and you put me in all of the danger?”

“Yes, Bob. It won’t happen again.”

It won’t happen again, Miss Lillian. It won’t happen again.



31 comments:

  1. I live on the edge too. Thankfully we all have our Miss Lillians to keep us on track.

    (I'm guessing this was part of your AWBC training or you wouldn't have done it, right?)

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    Replies
    1. Jaywalking = living on the edge. Hilarious!

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    2. It's totally my version of living on the edge!

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    3. It worked. I hear Miss Lillians voice in my head - and Bob's.

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  2. Ah, yes. You're on different stages of Kohlberg's Moral Development list. :)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohlberg%27s_stages_of_moral_development

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  3. Oh gosh, Miss Lillian wouldn't last long in the Boston area. We call jaywalking "sport."

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    Replies
    1. Sounds like they could use a team of Miss Lillians there!

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    2. Michelle's comment has me in tears from laughing. She's right and there are not enough Miss Lillians on the planet to keep anyone who walks in Boston safe.

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  4. "... in all of the danger."

    Oh, mama, how could you??

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  5. I think whenever we're at a crossroad, literally, we should ask ourselves: WWMLD?

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  6. Kids sure do love to remind us of our errors and mistakes.

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  7. I would have stuck my tongue out at her!

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  8. I wouldn't want to get paddled with a stop sign.

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  9. “Your boy knows the rules! Listen to him!”...
    I bet he stood a full head taller than you after that.
    Motherhood = the most humbling profession on the planet...
    Yeah, I wouldn't trade it either.

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  10. My eldest is such the rule following. It drives her rule-breaking younger sister quite insane. Love this.

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  11. One of the best life lessons my dad taught me and my siblings was when to break the rules. Mostly he taught us to follow the rules, but he also taught us that we needed to think for ourselves and sometimes we should break rules and challenge authority. Do you really want Bob to obey the Miss Lillians of the world *all* the time? I never want my kids to use the excuse, "I was just following orders."

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  12. Ah yes, the crossing guard. I have to admit I've fallen for our Audrey--grumpy on the outside safety-for-the-love-of-children on the inside.

    Just love this.

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  13. http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=540233316006126&set=a.223098324386295.105971.205344452828349&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf

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