where were you??

I'm going with another of Mama Kat's prompts for Thursday, and this week I choose:  3.) What were you blogging about last year at this time? What has changed?

 I dipped into the archives and learned that this day last year was the first day of school here for crossing guards.  Some kids were there too.



I did another sort of theme for that day by blogging my hellacious commute.  Since then, the moon has set on that moonlighting job, and I'm no longer a member of the hideous vest brigade.


School starts next week, and I am feeling a little bittersweet about no longer being needed out at the crosswalk.


That first day of school was always fun.  The kids all primped in their new clothes and new backpacks, all excited for school - the parents even MORE excited that summer's over.  Even the motorists didn't seem crabby that they had to go back to slowing down in the school zone.  Not on that first day anyway.

I did rather enjoy the morning shift, no matter where we were on the school calendar.  Being out there in the crisp early hours, shuttling the kids across.  The afternoon shift, however, was a pain in the ass - I'm not even going to disguise that phrase - having to be out there every day at three-ish.  It was pretty limiting, but that's why I got the big bucks, I suppose.

This year, operation back-to-school for me interferes with that afternoon shift.  The principal, whom I've known for the nine years we've been here, was very grateful for my service.  She told me that both students and parents told her how likable I was.

The crossing guard that was there before me was getting into almost daily "discussions" with motorists (some of whom were school parents) before it was mutually decided that she might be more effective at another position.  My "likability" was honestly pretty easy to pull off with that act to follow.

So what's changed?  I'm not a crossing guard.  I'm a student.

I have some fond memories from those two and a half years at the post, but now it's time to move on.  I can actually hear the crossing signal from my house, so I'm not really "gone".  I just won't be freezing my butt off out there anymore.

And once again, this chosen prompt overlaps with a couple of Mama Kat's others from this week.  One is:  4.) Share the story behind your current Facebook and/or Twitter profile photo.   Magnum took the above photo one afternoon, I guess to prove that I really was a school crossing guard.  Now, that photo happens to be my avatar for my wordpress site where I dump my artplay.   (Yes, I know, it's not facebook or twitter. So shoot me!)

Then there is the prompt:  2.) Tell us about a time you wanted to punch someone in the face.  because despite my likable facade, there were times when I could certainly sympathize with my crossing guard predecessor.

But I prefer to keep things positive around here...
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