Walking to school

seems to be a thing of the past around here.

One of my favourite dogs was being rushed away from all the delightful smells this morning because his human had to take the grandchildren to school.

"They could walk there but my daughter won't let them. She says it is not safe. I suppose she's right but I walked to school and so did she."

I thought about this as he walked briskly off tugging at the lead of the reluctant dog.

I went to school on my own from  a very early age. I rode my little red "dinky" tricycle with my school case on the tray on the back. In my first year I went with the Senior Cat for the first few weeks and then I was on my own. We lived in a small country community and everyone knew everyone. 

I was joined by other small children walking or riding their "dinky" trikes as well. In the afternoons we reversed the journey. It was just expected we would get to and from school safely and alone. 

The following year we moved to the city. There was a lot more traffic and further to go. I could have gone to a closer school but I went to the one where the Senior Cat was teaching in the "big" school (the Primary School) and I was in the "Infants". Again he went with me for a few weeks and then I was on my own. I knew the way. I knew the road rules. It was expected I would I get there and back safely. 

Now remember this was the child who had problems standing up and who was continually falling over. The idea that I might be allowed travel alone was probably not accepted by everyone. So why was I allowed to do it?

There was no way Mum wanted to take me to and from school. She had two more under the age of five and no desire to see me to school if I could do it myself.  The Senior Cat had other responsibilities. It was considered perfectly reasonable by Mum that, rain or shine, heat or cold, I went alone. 

It never even occurred to me to make a fuss. I was just doing what children right around me were doing. Yes, some of those in the Infants were delivered by their mothers but we rarely saw a father in the school grounds. We dinky riders simply parked with the "Big School bikes" (and there were a lot of those) and went into school. 

There must have been accidents and incidents but we were largely unaware of those. The vehicular traffic was much less - and slower - than it is now. There was a great deal more foot traffic. We knew which houses we could go to for help if we needed it. Sometimes they were pointed out to us, "Mrs.... lives there. If she is home she will help" and Mrs.... would almost always be home. 

Now Mrs... would be at work or, if older, getting her own grandchildren from school in a car.  The children are being taken to "out of school" activities - if they are not waiting at school in "out of school hours care". Very few of them have the pleasure of talking to the dogs, observing the men at work, playing games with their friends on their way to and from school. My brother, who joined me the following year, and I knew a lot of people along our route. The other children were the same. We lacked a Pied Piper perhaps but there was always a trail of children which gradually grew more or less as we went to and from school.

As far as I know I was never late. I was not allowed to be "sick" because Mum, a Christian Scientist, did not believe in illness. It did not matter how I felt I simply pedalled to and from school until I was in my penultimate primary year. We moved and the school house we moved into was next to the school. All we had to do was walk over to the school. It was not the same. Getting taken to and from school in a car must be even worse.