Some things never change.....

The sunbathed school yard is filled with neatly arranged rows of students waiting for the national anthem to begin. Kids trickle in before the gates are closed and fill up their respective queues. At the very end of the Grade 1 queue a small boy is trying hard to maintain his last position. Pushing and trudging the kids coming after him to take his place. The national anthem starts blaring on the public address system. Everything suddenly comes to a standstill. In stark contrast to what will be an epitome of chaos during recess, the yard is very quiescent.
The kid glances at the gates ever so often. As the national anthem ends the queue inches towards the school entrance. He, successful in holding on to the coveted last position continues to look back over his shoulders towards the gates. But now with tear stained eyes. All efforts concentrated towards getting a glimpse of his mother waiting across the school gates

.. and now 22 years later, he still pushes on his toes to get one more glimpse across the security check-in barricades at the airport.... although standing on the other side of the gate this time.... nothing else has changed....