The other day I told my sister that she is way too protective of her son. AJ is ten years old and he hasn’t seen his shadow yet. My sister lives in his back pocket.

     I know what’s going out there. I read the Internet headlines. Overprotective parents are hurting the coping skills of these kids. And because these same kids are attached to their phones, they’re not developing the proper social skills. These are serious problems.

     Serious problems for which I have the solution. I came up with the idea this morning after I got stuck behind a school bus.

     We need to bring back the neighborhood bus stop.

     Why are these kids granted their own islands? I must’ve stopped every forty feet for a mile and a half. Ten minutes into trailing Old Ironsides and I began to toll the bell for my brakes.

     Some stops were so close, the kids could’ve held hands. Why can’t one just go and stand with the other one? Are parents so protective that they won’t let their children leave the yard?

     I say we put a few of these kids in the same driveway to see what happens. I bet they develop coping and social skills.

     I don’t want AJ to grow up in a world like this. Someone needs to write a proposal to bring back the neighborhood bus stop and I’m thinking I just may be the guy to do it.

     I’ll have some free time tomorrow. I’m bringing my car in for brakes.