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(vvv photo not my creation vvv)

I was born in America,

Began driving at 18,

A year beyond the usual age of 17,

And somehow I missed the reasoning

Behind the pedestrian crossing sign 

In my 'Driver's Education' studies.

I passed the test with flying colors,

And never really gave it a thought

Because I knew what the sign meant,

And so I was able to abide by it,

Despite the fact 

That I really didn't understand it.

One day, I was in the passenger's seat

Of my sister's car, she was driving,

We passed a pedestrian crossing sign

And I said, "Why is that sign like that?

It never really made any sense to me."

I was about 28 years old by this time.

She says, "What do you mean?"

I said, "PED-Exing? Why does it say that?"

She said, "It stands for 'pedestrian crossing'"

I still didn't get it. I sat there too embarrassed 

To ask, but then couldn't take the curiosity 

Any longer.

I said, "Where do you see the 'crossing' on it?"

She said, "The 'X'?... it's a cross, made into an 'X'?"

I was beside myself! I couldn't believe that 

Something so up-in-my-face had hidden from me 

All those years!!

I began to look at life more seriously

Ever since that day.

I know I can never go back to the days

Of when I saw that 'ped exing' sign in that way

Prior to understanding about it,

But it will always have meaning for me

Because it taught me the power 

Symbols can have for us, and over us.

And I believed it.

6:22 PM 7/20/2013 ©

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross

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