Car Pool

We met at Jitters, a local coffee place. A dozen adults huddled around two tables, pouring over calendars, spread sheets, address lists, and Google maps. You would have thought we were planning the next invasion of Mars!

It sounds so simple. Eleven children. One morning run. Get them to school on the east side of the city by 7:45. But complicate that with vans versus small cars, morning versus evening shifts, rotating 3 against 4 day schedules, and previous commitments, and with 6 you get egg roll.

Half the time I had no idea what these seasoned veterans were talking about. I just kept nodding my head, figuring that at some point I would understand. They were so serious. If I take your shift on Thursday, I need a second car because you have a van. And we need to split your four children into two different vehicles unless Sheila can sub for Ron, then we can have the Fentons go with George. . .

Good Lord. I don't know how they ever figured it all out. All I know is, at the end of the evenings, I drive every Monday morning and only have to pick up at one location. Except for the Friday where I take my rotating turn and the Tuesday I swapped for one of the Mondays and then I still only have to pick up at one location, its just a different location. . .

And then there were the 18 ways to get there that avoid construction and don't take all day to deliver kids to the right school. I won't even begin to consider that. Lord have mercy, you need a doctoral degree and a lifetime of experience. That doesn't even cover if you are sick. I just hope I don't get sick. Perhaps I will drive anyway. It would be much easier.