Bramble Tamble

Many days, after I pick up Son from daycare, I take him on what I like to call the Choo-Choo World Tour. Because he loves trains and railroad tracks, and there are no crossings between the daycare and home, I'll drive through Odon, across as many crossings as I have the patience for. Up one street and down the next we'll go, maybe crossing the tracks about four times total before heading home. It's a bit of an indulgence, especially in our era of $3 gas, but no matter.

Last week, we were heading south down Spring Street in Odon, having crossed the railroad crossing there, making our way toward Cooper and the park before heading back north on Grove. At the corner of Spring and Cooper, a little girl on a bike rode out into the street. I saw her and slowed down, and she still kept zig-zagging toward me in my lane. I veered all the way out to the opposite side of the street and slammed on my brakes, doing everything in my power to keep from hitting her. She passed safely, and I couldn't believe what I'd just seen - I was too flabbergasted to honk or stop to give her the what-for.

This seemingly inconsequential moment was soon forgotten; I didn't even tell my wife about it. We lament enough the general state of kids today without overselling the point.

Why do I bring it up now, then?

Yesterday afternoon, at what I think is that exact spot, a man was backing out of the driveway in his truck, looked both ways, didn't see anything, continued backing up and hit a little 5-year-old girl on a bike. She later died.

Was it the same little girl that rode her bike out into my lane last week? I don't know, but the news has haunted me ever since I heard about it.

What if that little girl was the same one? And what if I'd gotten out last week and told her that she could have been hurt, and she needs to pay a little more attention? Or what if I'd asked her where her parents were, and told them about it?

Instead, I did nothing. And now it weighs very heavily on my mind, little Darcy's death. Even if it wasn't the same girl.

It's not really my responsibility to help raise other folks' kids - I don't buy into that whole "it takes a village" cliche - but I think about if the shoe were on the other foot, and my son was playing in the street, not really paying attention. Would I want someone to tell me that my child was mindlessly putting himself into danger?

Yes.

Would you? Or would you prefer that the rest of the world mind its own business and not tell you how to raise your child? Because there are people out there like that, you know.

What would you have done? Not the hero you. The real you. Be honest.