Dear Cell Phone Mom #342

Dear Cell Phone Mom #342,

I was behind you in the new drop-off line today. Being the first day back and all, and seeing that our school installed a completely new driveway and entrance-exit procedure, I kind of expected you to do something I hadn’t yet seen you do in the three years we’ve been driving our kids to school at the same time… get off the phone.

Maybe I thought today would be different because your adorable little fourth grader was coming into our building for the first time, too. Maybe I expected you to drive slowly and carefully around the teachers and PTO Moms who were standing in the street artfully directing the new traffic flow and patiently answering questions from new parents.

Perhaps I even thought you would take the time to read the signs that were posted up and down our long driveway, making sure we knew how to navigate the new system.

But, no such luck. You came up behind me and cut off the three cars in front of me, forming a double line that our poor, rain-soaked assistant principal was asking parents not to form. Your 6^th grader, who is a great kid, by the way, stopped any hope for flow because when he got out, so did his adorable fourth grade sister. You screamed at her to get back in the car – cell phone on ear – and she did. Then your very nice 6^th grader had to get to the hatch of your SUV to get his backpack and bag of supplies. No need to look behind you and see the pile of more than a dozen cars you were now holding up! He slammed the hatch closed and kept walking – no good-byes, no wishing him luck… you just sped away and left most of us shaking our heads.

By the time I got to the drop off strip, quickly wished my son a great day and told him I loved him, you had already dropped your brand new fourth grader at her entrance around the back – still on your cell.

I wondered how your daughter’s first day went. I wondered if she is so used to you being on that cell, that she might not even know that Moms often have conversations with their kids when they drive them to school. I wonder if she wished you had parked and walked her into this new place like so many others were doing.

Do you ever think maybe your kids feel like whoever you are always talking with on the phone is more important than they are?  I remember wondering that about your son when our boys were in 1^st grade and we ran into you at the grocery store – your son sitting in the cart eating unpaid for (and now that I think of it, unwashed) grapes, while you walked around the market on your cell, talking and laughing with whoever had your attention instead of him.

If I sound outdated or behind the times, please keep me there.

Warm Regards,

TCC