WALKING TO SCHOOL

Today is International Walk to School Day -  and we've been musing about the change in that behavior that has occurred over the last century. What would Nettie and Charlie Bulls (and their ancestors) think about the fact that a special day had to be set aside for that purpose?

We have no indication how far any of the Bullises had to walk to school and how many hills they walked up and storms they braved in the process. We can only consider what other people of that era have recorded and assume that the Bullises seldom if ever were given a ride to their local elementary via horse and buggy.

Why the change? Well, there's the improvement in transportation for one thing. And another thing occurred to us in our rambling thoughts - it was a lot safer "way back then" to walk to school. There was much less traffic so walking along side the roadway was usually safe. And then there were the shortcuts through the open fields that often made the walk much shorter.

So International Walk to School Day is just another reminder of us here in the Bulls Room that these books that surround us came from a much simpler, safer world than the one in which we live. And although we value the advancements of the age in which we live, it's refreshing to occasionally take a mental trip back to those simpler days. Stop by the Bullis Room and take the journey with us.