It’s the last day of school. Students are excited. Parents are relieved. Teachers are thanked. It’s been a long, strange year. However, there is one more group that needs to be recognized for making this wacky year: Our crossing guards.
They watch after our children, after us, as they head to and from school. They keep not just them, but us safe. We probably don’t think about it much, but they put themselves at risk while keeping us out of harm’s way.
We didn’t see much of them this year. There was no need when students were remote. But the minute students were allowed physically back in school–even if it wasn’t for the full day–there they were. Duty called and they were there.
Crossing guards are a special breed and a group that is often unrecognized. So today I say thank you to all who kept watch as kids of all ages walked, skipped, and ran to school.
Specifically, I want to thank Steve. Steve is at the corner of Elmwood and Claremont. He’s relatively “new” to the corner. And by that I mean he’s been there for less than five years. He’s always got a smile. You might know him by the balloons that he ties to the signs around his corner to mark a special occasion like Memorial Day, Father’s Day or the last day of school. However, during this last strange year, Steve has taken it a step further.
Usually, on Tuesday night he heads to Party Fair where he picks up a unique balloon (or two). We’re not just talking about your average round balloon with a smiley face. Last Wednesday morning there was a shark floating on the southeast side of the intersection. It stayed there until it deflated by the end of the day on Friday.
Steve has made it his mission to do something special during the week. He realizes how hard this year has been on our kids and he goes out of his way to find unexpected balloon shapes and designs that bring smiles to the faces of all the kids who cross his corner. (Not to mention all the cars that pass through the intersection.) It’s a gesture that tells you that while life may not be what we expected, it’s okay.
In a year when there didn’t seem to be a lot to look forward to, I know I looked forward to seeing Steve. His smile and his balloons made my day better.
Thank you Steve and thank you to all our township crossing guards. Have a safe summer. I’ll be looking for you all come September. And I can’t wait to see what balloon will be there to greet me.
Beth Shorten is a life-long resident of Verona. For more than six years, she has been chronicling life here on her personal site, Bfth’s Boring Blog.
