Melancholy Baby

I'm feeling a little melancholy today, and no, it's not the weather. Rain (or any other kind of  weather) has never affected my mood much. I pretty much like it all unless it's hotter than you-know-where (Miami), and then I'm a bit peevish about it.

I think what's got my mood going is the boy who has been charged with a federal crime because he forgot to take his shotgun out of his car from weekend hunting and tried to do the right thing, which got him in trouble.

When I was in high school there were as many guns as there were back windows of pick up trucks to mount them in.

A pocket knife was a must for any boy, if used only to clean out from under their fingernails.

I'll never forget when Husband and I  hadn't been married very long, and he came in all excited about a gift he'd purchased for me. I unwrapped it, and it was a square shaped jeweler's box. My heart beat faster. When I opened the lid it was a tiny pocket knife to put on my key ring.

Not what I was expecting, but still - cute.

I carried that thing for years, until I had so many keys on my ring from work we were afraid all the weight was going to pull the ignition out of the car, so I put it up.

I'd go to jail today if I was caught with it in my purse, I guess.

Back to my high school days. Every boy who drove to school had a gun. Every boy just about who walked the halls, had a knife in their pocket.

Guess how many gun fights and knife fights I witnessed my entire life of school?

That's right. Zero.

Oh, boys fought. But they used their fists.

I'd like to think, that if the young man in the  news had done this at my  high school today, and a staff person had overheard him call his Mama to come get the gun, that staff person would have said, "Son, that's a smart thing to do. Better tell the principal too, so he'll know you've taken care of everything. I appreciate the way you handled that. Go on to class, and I'll watch for your Mama."

I really hope that's what would  have taken place.

Reckon?