Every day, when I drop my spousal unit off at work, I get
stopped at the crosswalk while various medical staff make their way across the
street. It’s not enough that the
crosswalk is some 25-30 feet wide or that they have a gigantic sign telling you
to “Yield to Pedestrians in the Crosswalk.” Nope, they have a crossing guard too. Rain or shine, cold or hot, some poor parking
attendant stands out there for three hours every morning telling cars when they
need to stop or go…as if I would have plowed through the throng of people
otherwise.
One day, I actually saw the blessing of the
crossing guard. This kind-hearted woman
stopped traffic on both sides, when there were absolutely zero people waiting
to cross the street. At first, I was
annoyed, but then a solitary squirrel, who had been waiting patiently on the
sidewalk, tentatively scampered across the street as the guard coaxed him with
a “come on.” Having come into many
life-defining encounters with squirrels over the years, I was instantly grateful
for this crossing guard and for the squirrel who was courteous enough to use
the crosswalk.
