Like a Visit to the Barber Shop

When I was younger, my Dad would take my brother and me to an old-style, traditional barber shop to get our haircuts (much like Floyd's Barber Shop from the Andy Griffith Show). There, surrounded by dead mounted fish and among photos of former athletes and out-of-date magazines, men, mostly of an older generation, would share the news of the day and solve all the world's problems.

This week, I'm experiencing a similar but much more enjoyable situation. Here's the background. During two weeks out of the school year, the parents in each class at my son's school are assigned to assist with "Car Duty", which entails opening car doors for students and greeting them as they arrive for school. Our class was assigned a week in February and once again this week. By this Friday, I will have worked a total of 7 mornings this school year.

But there is a group of men, known as the Senior Saints, who are there every morning. Rain, wind, bitter cold. It doesn't matter. They're there. And they're nice. Always nice. With a "Good morning, big guy" for my 6 year old son and a "Have a great day" for me. These men include a retired veterinarian, a retired TVA manager, a retired missionary.

Here's some of what I've learned in two weeks working with the Senior Saints:

I now know not to open a minivan door until you're sure it's not going to open automatically

I now know that some parents wear a robe and/or pajamas to drop their children off at school

I now know which families seem to always run late

I now know there is a hawk that perches on the power lines across from the school for the same 15 minutes every morning

I now know that some parents have very messy cars (I keep my car cleaner now that I've worked car duty)

I now know that all school buses have an exhaust problem

I now know that the Senior Saints really care about the children and families in our community

And I now know that I'm looking forward to working with the Senior Saints again next school year.

Similar to the barber shop experience, these men joke about how they hope to get "raises" next year for their volunteer time. They share their thoughts on why the county should widen the school's driveway; why a separate entrance for buses would be helpful; why my son's school is such a great school.

One reason it's such a great school is because of the Senior Saints.