Towards an Open Future

Yesterday was a landmark day in education in our household. Having driven our children to school for the duration of their schooling, we made our first steps onto public transport - travelling to school by train. It is a step towards greater independence for our children, towards a more environmentally-sustainable lifestyle, and for lower-hassle mornings in the house. I travelled with the two boys by train, then walked with them to school from the train station before returning by train to work for the day. The children found it a little threatening at first, embarking upon a new means of transport, which means learning to read timetables and train schedules on platforms, knowing where to be when moving from one train to another, as well as adjusting schedules should trains be late or delayed. All did not go according to plan, but we managed to arrive at school on time.

While the boys noted that they needed to leave earlier in order to arrive at school at the same time, they acknowledged the potential independence which flows from knowing how to find one's way around by public transport. Me? I enjoyed sitting on a train, reading a book where I would normally be stop-starting in traffic all the way back to the office. Even allowing for walking Sam into the classroom, I was back at the office only a little later than usual, feeling refreshed and less drained than after sitting in traffic for over 90 minutes.

It was the first step... small steps, but helpful and life-giving in the longer run, as Caleb, Rachel and Sam move out of one comfort zone into one they understand more readily. Thank goodness for public transport!