Ma’am???
It was just before dawn and I turned around to see a nervous looking young woman standing by the Pioneer High bus stop. She continued, “Do you know where the bus to Pioneer stops?” I replied, “right about where you’re standing. But you’re a little early.” I didn’t have the heart to tell her she was a whole half hour early. Poor kid. She’ll figure it out. Then I asked her, “is this your first day?” She said it was and I tried to reassure her with a quick, “You’ll do fine. It’ll be easy,” before I continued along my walking route. It was an odd little encounter, given that the kids zombies standing at the Pioneer High bus stop usually don’t appear to notice me, plugged into their iPods, exuding an essence of somnambulant coolness. And then I realized that the freshmen who were meeting the bus that first day of school were not born when my little mousie began kindergarten. So begins another school year here on The Planet Ann Arbor. Me, I’m sending a kid to Africa this school year. Well, er, she’s sending herself. I’m just doing whatever I can to facilitate the whole thing. And spend time with her when I can. Even if it means sleeping on the couch while she sews. Maybe I should’ve told that young woman about all that. Probably better that I didn’t. She’ll have her own adventures. And the next time she sees me walking by the PiHi bus, I’m sure she’ll make pains to not notice me. And that’s okay.
Love, Kayak Woman.