Caution: ATBs Approaching

The beginning of last night's club run began perfectly. First Butch and I stopped at a day-old bread store and picked up 55 loaves of bread for the food pantry. Since I helped load and unload, I did a smidgeon of community service, something that's high on my "values" list. About five minutes after parking near The Runners' Corner, while getting up the stamina to warm up as we were still tired from Saturday's race and Sunday's 8-miler, Anna Maria and Magdalena went scurrying past the front of the car.
AM went to the driver's window and visited with Butch. Magdalena crawled into the car and onto my lap. After visiting a few more minutes, Butch left to warm up and I hauled Magdalena to the porch of The Runners' Corner. She wanted to look inside. Seeing a poster of a female running, she exclaimed, "Grammie! Look! That looks just like you."
Anna Maria was occupied with Craig, the store owner who was spinning a yarn about how I drink to support my running habit, or something like that. He told AM that I run just so I can help myself to a couple beers from his fridge downstairs. AM played along, recognizing that he was just being friendly, although she knows I don't do beer. Since Butch and Craig tease each other about being "beer drinkers with a running habit," I'm thinking that may be the reason Craig opted for that conversation opener. More relaxed and full of joy than usual before a club run, I DID visit a certain room downstairs (not the one with the refrigerator, though) and then headed outside. Magdalena gave me a hug and a kiss, and said, "We're going to leave now. Bye." AM also gave me a hug. Then Maggie took off running with AM jogging along behind. They were so cute!
But more importantly for me, they had taken time out of their day to enter my world and to hang for a few minutes with my friends. Nothing screams "I value you" louder than taking the time to respectfully enter and patiently absorb another's world. And I realized that is probably why George sent me the thank-you note for visiting his lab the other day; it probably DID mean as much to him as the invitation meant to me.
The group headed off. I hung with the club pres and Butch. We tried to be careful as we crossed streets. . .tried to watch for traffic. Too many cars speed, making it difficult to cross safely. Others make right-hand turns without even thinking about the crosswalk they're approaching and the potential foot traffic coming from the right. We ran down EMU, picked up a couple other club runners, crossed the end of the track, ran through a trail in the woods, down Park and back up Route 42 running on trails, concrete, asphalt and track. All four in one evening. I think that makes us ATBs: all terrain bipeds.