A MILEStone

Well, after 4 1/2 years of walking to school, Miles actually got to walk home by himself - all the way.  It was a big deal.  For us, at least.  So we live only 2 blocks from our school.  Yes, it's super close.  But, the cross-walks are super pedestrian UN-friendly.  The street closest to us is a busy street - 30 MPH limit, yet I would say the average speed is 40.  It isn't a "school-zone" and don't ask me why because it totally should be.  There are school-zones farther away than this intersection; it makes no sense.  I will stand for several minutes sometimes before cars finally will stop for us to cross.  It's just not super-safe.  There is another street to cross right at the school.  It's just about as crazy - though not a big street, there is tons of dropping-off traffic and cars all over.  But, especially, right at the cross-walk, there are cars parked that make it so that we have to walk out about 1/3 of the ways in order to see the other side's traffic - and for them to see us.  Again, it's just not super-safe.  Oh, and there is only a crossing-guard at the one street by school in the afternoons only.

Anyways (I think I get wordier in my old age) I like getting out, walking, seeing and visiting with parents, seeing my kids' friends, etc.  Miles will often invite a friend over and so it's good to have me there.  Also, my kids don't tell me, "Let us walk home by ourselves!" very much, if at all.

Except for last Thursday.  Miles had an "Earth Group" meeting after school and so would be coming home about an hour later.  I told him I'd meet him at the busy-street corner (like I meet the kids every Wednesday).  He then said, "Can I walk home by myself!?"  "Nooooo" I said.  But then I rethought and told Miles that he could.  He then struggled the whole walk to school on what to do - "Just tell me, I hate making decisions!"  (Sounds way more like me than him.)  Nope, I told him, this is up to you.  And he decided to walk home alone.  Good for him.  :)  Of course, around the time I thought he'd be coming back, I grabbed the camera and started looking out my bedroom window.  And there he was!  Walking home!  Alone!  And he didn't die!  (But he could have, I'm sure of it.  :)

 Okay, he made one street-crossing, now on to the next . . .

Ohhhhh, it was a tricky one.  One side of traffic had stopped for him to cross.  But not the other.  So then he had to wait on the other side.  But he did.  So he survived.  I did, too.