LIFE’S Observations… By the time you read this, school will be out. Cows will be on summer pasture and Montana's Meadowlarks will be sitting quietly in their nests on the ground, anticipating a hatch of new chicks. Our conversations will include concerns about the weather, based on the last couple of By David Mosdal days, and the most recent Guest Columnist forecast that we can recall. If time allows, we may grouse a little bit about a neighbor or a family member before we start listening to what it is we're saying and rein that in. The salient point is that, more and more, we are actually having conversations! This is truly a reason to celebrate.
Many of you know that my wife and I are school bus drivers in the Broadview community. Cheryl has been at it for twenty-seven years and I have completed my third. Our school stayed open for the entire year but, like every community, it was not without incident. There were several families who were touched by the Corona virus. Most of them were sick for a few days and then got over it but we had several 14-day stretches of selfquarantining when there weren't as many kids on the buses as usual. Those were uncertain days even as we were settling in for a pandemic siege with no certain outcome. To say we were nervous about all the bad things that could happen would be correct. It was akin to diving off an unfamiliar black diamond run on the ski hill, hoping we were adequately prepared: hat pulled down tight, ski pole straps around the wrists, bindings latched and checked and, if everything goes to plan, the exhilaration of safely gliding into the lift line at the bottom so we could do it again! A reason to celebrate! As fall turned to winter, our teachers and staff were careful to adhere to safety protocols like masks, distancing and taking temperatures. The results said it was effective. When people shared COVID test results we remained at or below county and state averages. We had a Christmas program, ball games, and a spelling bee. It almost felt like an ordinary year. This spring we even bused first through sixth graders to Billings for six weeks worth of swimming lessons. Again, that's a reason to celebrate. Throughout all of this crazy and unprecedented last year we have seen an everyday level of human toughness and tenacity from a variety of sources, but the one I see and appreciate the most is our teachers. They have been a dependably solid and consistent touchstone for our kids. They deserve our thanks. We celebrate them. And the school cook! Don't forget her.
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JUNE/JULY 2021
