This crossroad.
I am waiting at the stop sign to turn left. A truck to my left waits to turn too. The car across the street slows, stops. We sit there in our cars and wait, adults manning tons of heavy metal machinery, as two little girls, probably about 11, pause on the sidewalk and hesitate before running across.
I think about seatbelts as I wait. And airbags, which my seven year old asked me about in the car that afternoon. They're here to keep you safe when bad things happen, I said. I told her about how a layer of fabric and air can save a life.
Stripes on the road to keep children safe as they cross the street. Flashing stop signs on school buses. The tiny holes punched into plastic bags, so no one suffocates. Choking hazard warnings on babies' toys.
The many ways we can act, when we want, to create a world that keeps our children safe.
