I sat reading a research article in my local library when a boy of about 10 or 12 years raced by. He was followed in hot pursuit by a taller older kid, I thought. It all happened so fast. I also thought that the “race” was perhaps a silly prank the boys had contrived, racing from the library’s back entrance across the length of the library and finally out the front doors. Not giving it another thought, I lowered my head to my work. I guess I’ve learned nothing from Oprah.
As I was about to leave nearly an hour later, I walked over to the librarian’s desk to thank her for her help. She asked me if I had seen the commotion earlier. “You mean those kids that ran through?” The librarian enlightened me to the point in fact that the first runner was 12 years old and that the individual in hot pursuit was his father. Apparently, the kid had run away from school. This wasn’t his first time. The school had contacted an unconcerned mother who called the boy’s father at work across town. The father (who is my new hero) left his job and drove around town until he found his AWOL son. I assume that the foot pursuit started once the two discovered each other.
Just outside the front doors of the library the father overtook his son and threw him into the family car, while telling those concerned about the boy’s safety who he was and why the apprehension was necessary. My first thought was that that kid did not know how very fortunate he was to have such a father.
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