My Drive to School

Day 18 of 31

Each day I go to school I drive through the town of Princeton. I could take the highway, but I would rather take my time. I typically see the same people every day so this is sort of a Mr. Rogers “Who are the People in Your Neighborhood?” told from the point of view of the people (or dogs).

Little White Dog

“Arf! I like to take my human mom and dad for a walk but guess what? They end up taking me for one most days. Ha Ha! You see, I get tired so my parents pick me up, hold me and walk together. Usually the dad holds me while the mom sips her coffee, but every once in a while I can convince the mom to hold me in her arms, like a baby, as she walks. Those are the best days! Today I walked alone, on the leash, with my precious little paws rubbing against the rough cement sidewalk. Why? Because for some reason I am wearing the cone of shame-sigh.”

Brown Dog

“I am a labradoodle and I trot proudly next to my owner, the man in blue hat, at least for now since it is still cool in NJ during the early morning when we walk toward Princeton. I used to be really furry but recently I was groomed. I’m sure I smell better, but I feel a little embarrassed by my haircut. It’s super short. Yesterday I thought I heard some other older dogs talking about me. I tried to tell my dad I was being bullied but he doesn’t speak labradoodle.”

Woman Without a Dog

“True, I don’t walk with a dog but that’s because I am a cat person. I have two cats named Romeo and Juliet. I wear white sneakers on my walk, like I did in the 90s, but always change out of them when I get to my job. My job is ok but it’s not my dream job. It does pay the bills, however and it’s sort of nice to walk outside to work now that the weather has improved. Someday I might look for a new job but that feels like a lot of work.”

Fast Runner Lady

“I have been running for a long time. I have grey hair and as you can see by my gait, I have some arthritis. Even in pain, I am planning to run as long as I can. I am the fastest grey haired runner who makes her way through Princeton, but I live in a house outside of town. My husband works in the city so I have a lot of time to myself. I am retired but I like to freelance as an interior decorator. Even running and in pain you can tell that I am fancy and that my house smells like a spa.”

College Professor

“When I go to work I carry my worn brown leather workbag over my right shoulder. I am a history professor and a rule follower. I always use the crosswalks and cross right in front of Princeton University so I can walk through the main gates. I remember when I applied for this job and was so excited about it. I’m still excited, even now, 20 years later, and the way I walk shows that I love coming to work every day. I mean, if you want to be a history professor Princeton has a lot of history so it’s a great place to work. “

College Student

“I am a junior at Princeton University and I like to go to PJs Pancakes in the early morning. Sometimes I skip the pancakes and go to Small World Coffee instead, especially if I am cramming for an exam. I always wear some type of Princeton garb because, why wouldn’t I? At night I like to hang out at The Ivy. The Ivy smells like beer and is a little sticky but they have decent music and an outside area when the weather is warm. The cost of alcohol there is a lot less than the bougie bars in the Princeton area, and since I am a college student I can’t afford the other places, so The Ivy is my go to place.”

Elementary School Student:

“I go to a little school called, St. Paul’s and the bus stops right on Nassau Street to let me off. I am only 6 years old, so I skip across the sidewalk and jump up the stairs to the door where I then hug the lady who says good morning to me. Each morning I skip by this huge tree stump that is leftover from Hurricane Sandy. I heard from my older brother, that right after the hurricane, when the kids went back to school, the 2nd grade teacher decided to scrap her lesson plans for the day and use the tree in all of her lessons. For Math the kids estimated how old the tree was and then went outside to count the rings. For Science they learned about hurricanes and of course for reading (and social studies) they read biographies of the people who were alive in Princeton when the tree was originally planted. My brother, who was in that class, said that they even created a timeline that was as long as the room. I don’t know what it means but I heard some grown ups say that those were the days when teachers had more control over what they could teach. All I know is that my brother talks about Mrs. Clark and the tree whenever hurricanes are mentioned.”

Construction Worker

“Yeah, yeah, yeah…I know people get annoyed with me because I stop traffic. I also know that you wonder when the construction will end? Well, I hate to tell ya, but there will always be construction here in Princeton. It’s New Jersey so stop honking! Maybe leave a little earlier instead of getting mad at me? Have you ever thought of that? Just relax, turn on your music and enjoy the surroundings.”

**Please Note: All pictures are stock pictures and were not taken by the author.