Rain Patrol

The rain over the past few days has been greeted happily and eagerly by everyone.
While we're all joyous over every raindrop, I often think of Israeli soldiers who are out under the open skies - no matter what the weather - to protect the nation from north to south. 
As I drove yesterday from the Zayit neighborhood, I noticed little soldiers - the crossing guards from the girls' elementary school, Orot Etzion, walking to their posts. Despite the rain, these girls were eager to get to work. 
They and crossing guards (we called them Safety Patrol in America) all over Efrat direct traffic and backpacked kids at our busy intersections.
On sunny days they shvitz. On days like yesterday and today, they're splashed, soaked and cold, but they do their duty. Their yellow vest are more for show than protection against the elements.
It surely won't surprise you that a Bar Ilan study showed that elementary school students that are exposed daily to crossing guards attain a better knowledge of traffic rules and pay more attention to looking both ways before crossing than children whose schools have no crossing guards. That's great!
Even drivers that are exposed to crossing guards drive more carefully when they're around.
Unfortunately there are so many examples of drivers who skirt around buses, while they're unloading children; who double park to get children into or out of preschool; or who drive too quickly when children are being released from school. 
It's gratifying to see drivers respecting the Junior Traffic Patrol and waiting patiently until they are signaled to drive on.
When I was young, it was an honor to be on Safety Patrol. I think it still is.

Here's to the boys and girls on Crossing Duty. We're proud of you.