Nisa Rant and I just had a nice little dose of normality. We were taking a walk just as a neighboring elementary school let out.

There were two boys. One was wearing one of those orange safety patrol belts – symbolic in The International Language of Children for “dork.” We’ll call him Safety Boy. The second boy was larger than the first, we’ll call him The Bully.

The two boys crossed the road, then the The Bully grabbed Safety Boy by the lapels. He shoved Safety Boy into a tall hedge and held him there for a moment. Safety Boy said, somewhat dispassionately, “Ouch. Ouch.” It was very matter-of-fact. “Ouch.” No yelling. Just “Ouch” in a sort of low tone.

Then The Bully sets Safety Boy back down.
Safety Boy: “Ouch.”
The Bully: “See ya tomorrow.”
Safety Boy: “Okay. Ouch.”

Then they casually walked away. Fortunately, Nisa and I got past them before we started laughing. This appears to be a ritual, you half-expect them to punch a timeclock after the encounter. It was oddly soothing. It was a perfect moment.

oh my, the things we learn about each other
On the way home from work I was relating the story of the Bully and the Dork to my partner. He thought it was funny. Then told me he was not only a Safety Dork, but a Lieutenant, making him King Dork of his elementary school. I’m not sure what to do with this information, so I’m sharing it with you.