On weekdays, before and after school, my neighborhood becomes a raceway for electric scooters. Middle schoolers whiz down sidewalks, dart into grass to avoid pedestrians and dogs, then zip across the streets. Hopefully, they are checking for oncoming traffic. I’m happy to report that they all wear helmets.
Now that the weather has warmed, these kids no longer huddle over their handlebars but ride taller, faster, stronger. And they all sport smiles, from goofy grins to sly smirks. The other day, two girls passed me while laughing so hard that they swerved a bit toward each other.
Occasionally, I worry about their safety, but more often, the sight of them humming along gives me an electric thrill.
Middle schoolers are a much-maligned species. We gripe and complain about them, as if we had somehow skipped awkwardness and sullenness at that age and graduated from childlike innocence into maturity. Ye gods. Who are we kidding? It’s likely that you shared my teenage surliness and short-sightedness, often made poor decisions, and screeched at your loved ones. Don’t you remember how insecure yet self-righteous you were? Ye gods!
When I see these students after school, winding their way down the sidewalks and streets, I often recall the wisdom of Ram Dass: We’re all just walking each other home. Or, better yet, scooting along.
Andrew Taylor-Troutman is the author of the book with Wipf and Stock Publishers titled This Is the Day: A Year of Observing Unofficial Holidays about Ampersands, Bobbleheads, Buttons, Cousins, Hairball Awareness, Humbugs, Serendipity, Star Wars, Teenagers, Tenderness, Walking to School, Yo-Yos, and More. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where he is a student of joy.
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