In my neighborhood

Oh, who are the people in your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
Say, who are the people in your neighborhood?
The people that you meet each day

We are very fortunate.  We live in a neighborhood.

My son got on his bus this morning.  High school is the first opportunity the kids have to ride a bus, though after one week, my son would scoff at the word "opportunity."  Builds character, Son.

After that, I hopped on my bike, with bike trailer, and rode LW to school.  It's just over half a mile away, plenty close enough to walk, but it's insanely hot right now.  In a couple of weeks, I'll have them out pushing the pavement.  Said Hello to Mr. G, the Crossing God, who asked about 'Peep.  He's the grandpa to one of the girl's friends, and has been there on the corner for about three years.   LW has been chatting with him during all that time.  If he hadn't been on the corner that first day, I'm afraid she would have just refused to begin kindergarten.

We go in to the cafeteria and LW goes up to Miss Lindy, the cafeteria monitor, who is grandma to one of The Boy's friends.  We see her at every band concert, and she comes to our Halloween party.  This morning, when LW was nervous about going to school without Bo Peep, her sisters reminded her that Miss Lindy would be there.  And that made it all okay.

Bo Peep is sick, so she stayed home.  After I got back, it was time for The Princess to hop on her bike and go around the corner to the middle school.  She'll wave at Mr. G as she goes past and he'll tell her to have a good day.  He means it, too.

I call the elementary school to tell them that Peep is sick and won't be in.  The lady at the desk, who lives two streets over, asks me to please tell Peep that she hopes she gets better soon.  I hear the school nurse in the background, who, because she kept up with LW's progress, knows us all so well that when one of mine winds up in her office, she'll call and say, "She says she's sick, but she seems okay to me.  Want me to just let her lie down for a few minutes?"  or "She's got that dull look in her eyes, I think she really is sick."

And then there's the man around the corner who runs the ice cream shop where we'll be having our St. Baldrick's event, and who gives afterschool jobs to 24 high-schoolers, and the mechanic who we actually trust, and all the neighbors in my cul-de-sac who we rode out Hurricane Ike with.

It is a privilege to live somewhere like this.  Where I know the people in my neighborhood.
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