Op-Ed: Why I Press the Crosswalk Button and Also Why I Think Santa Claus is Real and My Parents Will Get Back Together

Being the leader of a group of pedestrians arriving at a crosswalk comes with immense responsibility, one that many Cornellians seem unfathomably unaware of. It is the civic duty that upholds the balance and integrity of the transportation system, and in turn, all of civilization: pressing the crosswalk button.

There’s no denying the gravity of this responsibility. It’s not just tapping a button; it’s orchestrating a ballet of traffic and human locomotion. Without the press of this button, who knows what kind of disarray the roads would descend into? Who knows how long the pedestrians would have to wait to cross the street? The system needs commands, and I will give it that command even if I have to push and elbow my way towards that button.

People often mock my dedication to this cause, and I am not deaf to these naysayers. Is pressing the button absolutely necessary? Maybe not. Will the signal change anyway? Yes. But will the signal change as quickly as it does when I press the button? Also yes. I forgot where I was going with this, but I’m fairly sure it does something!

That brings me to some of my other beliefs that many people sneer at. Of course, Santa Claus is real; he was there every Christmas when I was a child! At least, until my parents split up. I’m not sure why he stopped coming after my dad moved away. That reminds me: I think they’re going to get back together! I see the signs—like how they exchange polite conversations during pickups and drop-offs. Or how they smiled for a split second before screaming at each other over Thanksgiving.

Back to my point. Pressing the crosswalk button might not seem like much, but it is vital to the functioning of a healthy society. Let this slide and next thing you know, there’s going to be people saying that knocking on wood doesn’t actually do anything!

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