The other day, when visiting my local high school and a fire drill happened, I noticed a yellow line painted on the sidewalk. About 16 inches from the curb, this yellow line extends from one end of the bus-loading zone to the other end, a distance of 816 feet. The line is there for one purpose: to remind children to stay back from the curb when buses are leaving or arriving in the loading zone.
          We spend our lives standing behind that yellow line, don’t we? There are people who want to protect us from ourselves, telling us not to cross the yellow line. On the highway, stay to the right of the yellow line. In April, file your income taxes on time. Stay out of the pornographic websites on the Internet. Raise your hand when you want to ask a question. Put your toys away. Have a buddy who will look after you. Line up in single file. Don’t talk when the leader (or teacher) is talking. Do not disagree with the President (That’s Unpatriotic!) Don’t play gambling games on the Internet. Do not give out credit card information on the phone.
          Don’t cross that line. Don’t believe everything people tell you. When you receive an email that tells you a poor civil servant in Botswana Nagu has $22 million (U.S.) and he needs your help to transfer it from a Swiss bank to a U.S. account, preferably yours, don’t allow your greed to overcome your common sense. Why do you think that ‘civil servant’ in a backward country wants your help? He doesn’t want your help …he wants your money.
          Don’t cross the line. Remember, yellow is the color of caution. Don’t steal your best friend’s girl …a true friend is a precious asset and not to be squandered for a quickie in a hammock (Uh, Oh! Think about it). Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Don’t hire a plumber who won’t take off his boots before he walks on your new white carpet.
          There are so many ‘Don’ts’ in our world. Each ‘Don’t’ is a yellow flag warning you of the dangers in our world. Be careful, but ‘Don’t’ spend your time on this earth in hiding from people. The most glorious thing about this life we lead is that we get to meet so many different people. Trust most of them. Pay attention to your instincts. If the offer of friendship seems too good to be true, then heed your instincts.
          ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be.’ (Polonius to Hamlet). Keep an open mind. Challenge your assumptions. Neither a believer nor an agnostic be. Believe in yourself and be open to hope and empathy for others. But above all else, be cautious. The world is a vale of tears as my sainted Gramma Louise once told me. Don’t cross the yellow line.

Be good, wave to a neighbor and cherish your children.

‘Stay Behind the Line' is the copyright© property of Marty Duncan - Omagadh Media, 2003.
Contact him at Marty.Duncan@omagadh.com