On my way to work today, I saw an elderly woman with white hair, wearing a red volunteer vest, holding a "stop" sign in her hand, standing at the entrance of the school in the drizzle.
She stood in the middle of the traffic, seemingly wanting to hold up the sign to inform the cars to slow down, but this road is always congested and walking is faster than driving, so there is no need to slow down.
Therefore, the word "stop" on the sign has been scientifically validated. The drivers are driving slowly, and someone behind them is in a hurry to get to work, honking their horns. Students walk through the stagnant traffic and safely enter the school.
I think of my own incompetence. I have only stood guard once, and the rest of the time I let the elderly at home do it. The teachers in the group said that this is a regulation from above. She notified everyone a week ago, and even the day before standing guard, she repeatedly emphasized in the group that parents who volunteer to stand guard should remember to check in.
Of course, I would willingly stand guard a million times. My child is studying at the school, and the relationship between the school and the parents is harmonious. I want to contribute my part and do my best. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find a job at the moment, and the boss will not forgive your lateness just because you are standing guard. So I had to let my elderly parents fulfill this duty on my behalf, which can be considered as fulfilling my filial piety from the side.
If someone else wants to stand guard for me, would I allow it? Wishful thinking!
Suddenly, I felt a bit confused. When did the practice of standing guard at the school entrance start?
I had a chat with a parent.
He said it has been there for a long time.
I said, could it be that this parent guard mechanism has been in place since the school was established?
He nodded confidently and said, it's probably even earlier.
My memory became chaotic. Did we have it when I was in elementary school? I have no impression at all of my parents standing guard at the school. I guess it was probably introduced during a special period in a certain dynasty in history. With five thousand years of Chinese history, such policies or regulations that are sincerely supported by the people are as numerous as the hairs on an ox.
I have reached an age of confused memories. Internet memory is erased, and individual memory is overwritten by collective memory. I can no longer distinguish whether I am in the Qing Dynasty or the present.
I asked the villagers why the garbage dump was filled with white metal boxes and why a narrow iron fence was being built outside the school wall.
We don't have wolves in our village, so why are they doing this?
A villager smoking a cigarette said, "It's for slaughtering pigs. As long as we drive the pigs into the iron fence, they will calm down. Those metal boxes are specifically used to spray pesticides and disinfect the pigs."
I nodded in agreement, it does ring a bell. I marveled at how tame the pigs are now, knowing how to line up for death. Unlike the pigs I saw when I was a child, they would go crazy when they heard someone say they were boiling water, jumping up and down, impossible to control.
I saw the wrinkled old woman trembling in the wind and rain, and I admired her in my heart. If someone with a mental disorder were to come now, the old woman would have to summon the spirit of enduring hardships from her younger years and go up to touch the person, ending her honorable yet long life.
I couldn't help but think, this regulation is really good. It allows me to experience the glory of being a volunteer. I can work like a horse every day, and sometimes, to change my mood, I can stand guard at the school, watching the next generation of our country grow up, filling my heart with joy.
When I have white hair in the future, I will naturally have enough capital to boast. I will say to my grandchildren on my knees, "Grandpa used to stand guard at the school."
My grandson will surely widen his eyes and say in amazement, "Grandpa, you're amazing!"
I will wave my fan and say, "Your great-grandmother also stood guard at your school entrance, even in the rain. The school leaders were very moved and praised her on the spot, saying that whenever she wants to stand guard, she can come to the school entrance anytime, for as long as she wants."
My grandson's eyes will be full of stars. "So our family used to be so glorious."
I proudly say, "It is said that your great-grandmother's great-grandmother even bound her feet."
My grandson trembles all over. "Could it be the legendary three-inch golden lotus?"
I quickly cover his mouth with the fan. "Don't shout, be careful, walls have ears. Don't show off your wealth, so as not to make others jealous."
Finally, after an hour, the traffic started moving. I looked at the old woman, who was drenched like a torn paper box, and felt a bit envious in my heart.