That other walk

walk.jpg

So, there they go – off to the bus stop. Not looking back, Jay slightly in front of Jackie – each step symbolic of their inevitable independence from Mom and Dad.

If this photo was in black and white, neatly framed, and that mailbox and bag of garbage were photo-shopped out – people would buy copies of this picture at the mall.

But instead, it’s my desktop background. It makes me smile when I’m working late or they’re at school, and it triggers a flood of memories every time I look at it:
— I remember the day it was taken, the first day of the 07-08 school year. They were confident, excited, and this was one of 30 pictures I took that day for Mom.
— I remember this morning when Jackie hugged me and started sobbing: “I really like school, Daddy, but it’s too long – I don’t want to be away from you for a whole day!” (Pretty cool to have someone say that to you. I can only say that because within 5 minutes we’d worked through the moment and she was laughing and happily headed out to the bus as usual.)
— I remember a string of school bus “moments” from when I was young: walking to James Monroe Elementary School with Matthew Sampson in Edison, NJ (getting chased by a rogue doberman 3 out of 5 days per week); waiting for the bus at the end of Appletree Lane with Colleen Casey and Marty Goodwin in Wilton, CT; the long bus rides in Poway, CA to St. Andrews Drive, playing football with the bus driver and doing my homework on the bus on the way to Campus Middle Unit in Englewood, CO; walking to East Hills Middle School and later catching the bus to Lahser High with Dominic Cianciolo in Bloomfield Hills, MI; finally, my brief stint taking the bus to Wilton High in CT prior to getting my driver’s license. (I wonder how many moments Jay and Jackie will remember from their bus rides when they are older.)
— I remember the string of afternoons when they have gotten off the bus for the last two years; they always seem content with the school day and happy to see me. Always. (Again, that’s pretty cool.)

I know it’s not going to last forever, but I have this picture, and I will remember.

Contributed by: Scott Copperman (Guest Author)

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