Waiting at a stoplight as early morning temps hovered in the minus-20 range, I witnessed a strange paradox. Auto exhaust hung low, and pedestrians, like dragons, belched steam as through this screen I noticed a young mother smile at an angled rearview mirror to her child buckled in behind. I was curious what tunes she might be teaching so I cracked my window and wisps of Baby Einstein waft my way. She appeared a bright young thing -- knowledgeable in early childhood development.
When light turned green, she shut her window against Arctic's frigid breath and I reflected on a mother's love as she pulled away, fresh-lit cigarette locked between her teeth.
Wendell Affield
Shevlin
