“Why I Need Ash Wednesday”

Crossing the Line

It happened when I was seven.

My brother and I were riding bikes when he tired of me tagging along. At ten, Brian was allowed to do something I wasn’t: cross Harbor View Road. I could ride anywhere in my neighborhood, but not across that busy two-lane road.

Brian pedaled into the next subdivision to be alone for awhile. Unwilling to accommodate, I crossed the boundary set by my parents. I stubbornly followed my brother across Harbor View Road.

Immediately he turned around, so I also made a U-turn. I was so focused on keeping up with him that I broke the cardinal rule of crossing a road. I neglected to look both ways before crossing Harbor View.