No doubt, it's rough getting out the door around here. I mean, there are four kids who need to be fed, clothed, brushed, badgered, cajoled and brow-beaten into school-shape. To be sure, most mornings in the Dixon house are a 45 minute, all-out, patience-testing sprint to the doorway. It's exhausting.
But here's the thing...once we're out the door, it's glorious. I absolutely LOVE our morning walk to school. Here's why:
1. It gives us a chance to talk. It's the difference between 5 minutes in the van and 15-20 on the sidewalk. In the van, you barely have time to clear channels about the day's schedule. On the walk, you can do so much more. Recently, Lily and I have spent our walks playing the letter game. We use her class' letter of the week and come up with as many words as possible that start with that letter. It's super fun. Maybe even better is listening to the kids talk to one another. This morning Josh and Lucy had a nice chat about the spaghetti tacos that are on today's lunch menu (The verdict? Sounds gross).
2. Walking is good for us. I mean physically. It's about a half mile to the school, so put us down for a bit of morning exercise. And for me, let's face it, at 40 any exercise is good exercise!
3. It gives the van a rest. As our only car, our van works hard. It deserves a morning off every now and then, you know? Walking is one way the Dixons are trying to go green.
4. We get to see the neighbors. You see people when you walk. Lots of "good mornings" to the neighbors as they walk out their doors and get in their cars to head to work. This morning my neighbor even rolled down his window and shouted a hearty "mornin' neighbor" as he drove by. Where are we? The 1950s?!? Also, lots of waving. I have like 4 cars that I wave at pretty much every morning. I've never once had a conversation with the drivers, but I've waved at them dozens of times. Bottom line is that the longer we live here the more I feel like a stakeholder in our neighborhood, and those brief morning connections during the walk only encourage that.
5. Slowing down feels counter-cultural. And good. I mean, our culture is in large part about efficiency, and walking is not the most efficient way to get to school. But, to be honest, I kinda like pushing back on the flow of culture. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for our van, but having a reliable vehicle is really a luxury. And there's something gratifying and life-giving in choosing simplicity.
So there you go. Let's walk people. If only I could figure out a way to make the race to the door as fun!