After a pretty unproductive weekend, I decided to get up and get moving today. I started off with a nice, long walk and then switched into errand mode with a trip to a local, family-owned hardware store.
Driving past the outdoor seating of a nearby restaurant, I was surprised to see almost every table full. Across the street, I noticed full tables at a local coffee shop. I couldn't figure out why all these tables would be full on the day after Labor Day. Isn't school in session? Haven't most people returned from vacation and gone back to work? Isn't today one of the worst days in the DC area for rush hour traffic?
I pulled around the pack of the building to park. As I grabbed my bag to head into the hardware store, I came across another interesting sight. A young blonde woman emerged from her car, practically skipping into the taco restaurant. Before walking in, she raised her fist in celebration as she let out a loud, "Hallelujah!"
At first, I couldn't quite figure out what was going on. Then I noticed a table of similarly aged women waiting for her, each one smiling broadly.
"Oh, yeah," I thought, "it's time to celebrate the fact that the kids are back in school."
I heard of champagne breakfasts occurring on the first day of school back when I taught 5th grade at a well-to-do neighborhood school. I suppose the younger kids can be quite exhausting during those dog days of summer. The heat and humidity of August can drag on, just like the feeding, entertaining, and engaging of your own children, as the start of school can be seen at the end of a long, summer tunnel.
I'm sure it wasn't easy getting them off to school this morning either. So, I guess if this group of young women has survived all that, perhaps they enjoy a small celebration.
Cheers, ladies.
Wusses!
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