Wheels

[madamesilverspurs]

It doesn’t happen very often, that momentary mental displacement that finds me trying to remember where I parked the car. That blue tag has hung from the rearview mirror for many years, so parking in the designated spots has become fairly automatic.

Thus, as I came out of the grocery store it was briefly disquieting as I stood amid a bunch of cars, trying to find my own. The handicapped section was pretty full and I’d parked in the space that is adjacent to the “normal” parking. On first glance, my blue-tagged vehicle was indistinguishable from most of its “normie” lot-mates. If you didn’t know better you’d think I was a soccer mom.

You’d think I was a soccer mom. After all, I do drive one of the minivans that have become a nearly ubiquitous part of today’s parental livery. Back in the day our family had a station wagon that went to the grocery store for Mom, to the lumber yard for Dad; it transported the whole family to church on Sunday and took us on vacation once a year. It sometimes picked up my brothers after their Little League practices and games, but I don’t think anyone ever looked at that car and thought Baseball Mom.

Yes, I know, lots of books have been written about this new game-centered culture for the kids. But I’ve been spending considerable time of late attending public meet-and-greets for our local school board candidates. We have a lot of candidates, thanks in no small part to the aftermath of the last time when too many voters paid too little attention and left us with a horrid situation. The most troublesome board member campaigned on the premise of doing away with public education, and all hell has broken loose at board meetings ever since. His term lasts for another two years and he has vowed to stick it out. And he has supporters among the present candidates.

All this is happening while we’re already dealing with economic realities that are plaguing many communities. We’ve had to close some schools, merging their student populations with other schools. Libraries are now on the chopping block. Voters have rejected measures that would have provided for much needed improvements in buildings and processes. There’s talk of reducing the number of teachers while the number of students is increasing. How did we let things get this bad?

Do I even want to know what kind of car would designate a School Mom?

[NYC_SKP]

1. I miss the station wagon, it was killed by the SUV, and the EPA let it die.

I've had a Rambler wagon, a Malibu, a Camry wagon (killed off in '96), a Volvo, now a Prius (which is kinda like a wagon).

Station wagons are making a comeback but they're being called "crossovers".

Say it, "Crossover", oooooohhh, sexy.

K/R

:kick: