War & Peace...in the carpool line

This year I spend about an hour, sometimes more, in the carpool line waiting to pick up my kids. That's counting two different schools, two different pick up times, twice the number of parents.

Carpool rules.

Ahhhh...where to begin. There are so many of them (rules) at the elementary school, and the principal usually sends out lots of paper reminders about them. The middle school, no information on it, and pick-up is confusing, so I see the need for rules.

No talking on cell phones or texting. No blocking parking spots. Have your laminated number in the windshield. Try not to idle your engine, turn it off.



So, I sit in my car with the windows down, my unwashed, crazy hair hidden in a UT Longhorn baseball cap, furtively playing Sudoku on my cell phone,




(listening to Annie whining because she can't jump out and go play kickball with the kids on the playground), I watch not one, not two, not three, but FOUR cars consecutively cut in front of me!

I feel immediately outraged. I got here early, I'm following all the damn rules (well, maybe the cell phone playing isn't) but these people waltz up and cut! Do I get out of my car and confront them? Do I honk the horn in indignation? Do I ride up on their bumper and gesture rudely? I see the principal coming out to the line with her walkie-talkie to start carpool, should I tell her what just happened?

I do nothing. I breathe deeply and let it go. Because, really, what difference does it make? I'm getting worked up about nothing. These poor parents are either new to the school or don't know the rules or don't give a damn, and I'm really not going to get my son any faster. In the grand scheme of things, this is NOT something worth getting upset over. It's just not.

I read a post on SITS co-founder Tiffany's blog the other day about some issues in China. I mean, sheesh, at least I'm allowed to have two children. They have some big problems over there.

I also was blog browsing and found a post on Mamadance's site talking about the documentary Born Into Brothels: Calcutta's Red Light Kids, a film I've seen. It follows a woman who's teaching photography to kids who live in brothels. Can you imagine growing up in poverty, in a brothel? The lives these kids live. All I can say it, you should watch it.

These two posts reminded me of the bigger picture. Life for me might be about annoyances in the carpool line, but honestly, there are much huger issues out there for me to worried about. So, I brush off these slight irritations like an irritating fly buzzing around my head and look forward, outward. What can I do to help fellow mankind? I think the key is knowledge. Making people aware. It all starts there.