We had one last neighborhood celebration for our high school graduates. We blocked off 25th Street, pulled together tents, tables, chairs, and coolers stocked with seltzers and beer, and brought a hodgepodge of pasta salads, pizza and take-out from Chipotle.
This is the main block we’ve been gathering on since our kids were riding tricycles and scooters; skinning knees on sidewalks; jumping off a front porch and spraining an ankle on Easter Sunday (Maxine); shrieking as we set off fireworks; roaming the streets as vampires, superheroes, aliens, and movie characters on Halloween; pulling each other in sleds; and running through sprinklers.
Now this next batch of newly minted high school graduates are on their way to schools in states across the country: Virginia, New Jersey, Colorado, Mississippi, South Carolina, and New York. They have their mountains of clothes, small appliances, mattress toppers, and comfort items stacked in bedrooms and basements. They will begin to peel off from the neighborhood later this week.
I’m already looking forward to seeing them when they’re home for the holidays.
My Corner of the Village 