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Thursday, August 14, 2003

Keeping an eye out...

Last night I was looking down the street, waiting for the Big Blue Bus (yes, that’s the name of the Santa Monica bus system) when I spied a man crossing the street, carrying a child. From what I could see of him in the rapidly dwindling light as he walked in the opposite direction, with only his back visible to me, the man was probably in his 30s, of average height and athletic build. The child was a boy about 4 or 5 years old and was held awkwardly at chest height, his legs sticking out to the side of his carrier, constantly moving.

I watched them cross the street, looking for signs that the boy was being unwillingly carried. As they reached the 7-11 parking lot on the opposite corner, the man set the boy down. Instantly the kid took off running towards the store with a happy squeal. I realized that the man simply carried the child so there would be no danger of him running into traffic.

I remembered that, no matter how trusting I tend to be, I look at many adult/child interactions with the same critical eye and I wondered, “My G-d, is this what our society has come to?”

Maybe, with my love of children and my many nieces and nephews, it's just what I've become. Or a combination of the two.

-- posted by Carol Elaine @ 1:53 PM -- |

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