Moment of silence gets mind wondering
Mmmmmm.
Or maybe it's mmmmmmmmmmmm.
Or maybe just mmm is enough.
OK, now that my undefined "moment" of silence is over, I can begin.
Between my legislatively inspired (why not experience what our kids are being forced to do?) contemplation time and an extra week this autumn of more daylight than most years, I had plenty of extra moments to consider these thoughts:
• The daughter of a sitting United States President visited Neuqua Valley High School last week (in addition to her book talk in downtown Naperville), and there wasn't the excitement I would have expected such an event to generate.
Secret Service waiting outside and wandering inside; orange parking cones in front of the auditorium exits; some Homeland Security instructions for staff -- but not a sense of thrill or "big event" that I could detect, spending just an hour there that day.
If Bush had been forced to navigate the hallways during passing periods, perhaps that would have drawn some more heightened interest.
• What is drawing interest around Neuqua this weekend is the number of big-time sporting events the school's teams have qualified for.
Yesterday, the boys soccer team played in the IHSA state quarterfinals at North Central College, and students who wanted to support the team were able (with parental permission) to take a spirit bus to the game and miss the last two periods of school. I'll bet many students used Friday morning's moment of silence to contemplate that!
Last night, the football team played Lincolnway East in the second round of the Class 8A football playoffs at Neuqua. Today, both the boys and girls cross country teams, winners at last weekend's sectionals, compete at the state meet in Peoria.
A week earlier, the school's Booster Club inaugurated a new event, treating Wildcat coaches to a thank-you breakfast. Well-fed and fully appreciated coaches one week, championships galore days later. Any connection? Something else to think about during that moment of silence.
• Just don't be letting your mind wander, even in silence, while you're driving past wooded areas during the next month or two.
The Illinois Department of Transportation reminds us that this is the time of year when deer are most active and deer-vehicle crashes are most likely to happen -- particularly in Will County, ranked third of Illinois counties with the most deer-vehicle accidents. Be alert while driving.
Anyone who has driven down Naperville/Plainfield Road recently can tell you the danger is real -- not to mention the deer sightings within subdivisions along Spring Brook Prairie. Deer are our neighbors; keep an eye out for them.
• I'd like to thank one Naperville neighbor who kept an eye out for another animal recently. We're still not sure how our dog got out one afternoon, but we're beyond thrilled that someone took the time to check her collar and bring her right home.
That was something we took more than just a moment of silence to consider, and would have regardless of whether someone told us we should.
• "Shoulds" should be limited to things like getting a flu vaccination. It's that time of year when many of us think we should get one -- or, in my family, the Flu Mist, preferable to any type of shot.
For the past two years, getting the Flu Mist was simple in Naperville. This year, more than a dozen phone calls have come up empty.
Anyone who can let me know where we can get Flu Mist this year will be rewarded with a review of Jenna Bush's book, a drink from the concession stand at the next Neuqua sports state game and a list of tips on how to avoid hitting a deer from IDOT.
Anyone who can give me a reasonable explanation of why anyone should be required by a state legislature to have a moment of silence while attending public school will be presented with an Illinois lottery ticket -- because the odds of them paying off are about the same.