It was children walking to school! Talking together; shouting at their friends ahead or across the road. Or indulging in a little before-school horseplay. As much as one can manage walking on this busy road to school.
I thought how much I had missed this sound during the summer holidays. And, yet, I wasn't conscious of its absence in those months. It's only when the sounds resumed that my ears and my brain started working together.
I remember walking to school many years ago. No, I didn't have to walk barefoot through snow or anything like that. It was over a mile from my house, though. And, one school was 3 miles and I had to cross a busy highway, too. Looking at that old highway now, I can't even recognise it. Much less think of a kid in primary school crossing all alone. Traffic seems to have gotten bigger and busier since I was walking to school. And streets are wider.
However, there was usually a gang of us walking together, chattering and oblivious to any traffic that came by. Just like those kids outside my window.
What memories do you have of your trip to school each morning?
5 comments:
Goodness, you had it semi-rough! I had about a mile walk, which my mom wouldn't let me do alone, and always arranged for some other child to walk with me. There was an enormous highway a block from our house, so an adult would always walk with me to that point and then meet me there to cross. No crossing guards at all in those days! It was on that big highway that I pushed my deaf great grandmother down on the ground. She was furious, but I saved her from being hit by an oncoming car. Hey, I think I'll do post on that. Hmmm...you bring out the storyteller in me.
Like you, I walked to school each day, just exactly a mile. You've reminded me of a memory, but it's too long to put in a comment, so I'll post about it. Now I just hope it doesn't take me as long as the tag did!!
And yes, the osund of chattering children is such a nice one- uplifting.
Ginny and Mimi - I'm looking forward to your posts on those memories. Glad I could generate more than a comment. That crunch you hear is the sound of me trying to pat my own back!
I went to 13 schools, but do remember trudging through snow in South Wales, being teased because my coat was so long it dragged on the ground & not stepping on any cracks in pavements. All this took place in England.
Love the birds pic.
While driving Tuesday morning, I noticed the buzz of activity near all of the schools. The moms taking kids to elementary school for the first time were the ones who stood out most. Such a bittersweet moment!
Grade school was just around the corner, middle school a half mile away and the high school was a one mile walk. Mom gave me bus money (no school bus in the area), but I always chose to walk and save the money for a sundae after school.
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