Flashbacks

I was on my way to work today and I was running late, as I pretty much always am.  I whipped my car out of the driveway, took off down the street, and rounded the corner to come face-to-feace with a small girl (no I didn't hit her.)  She had just gotten off of the school bus, a couple blocks down now, and was probably walking home.  I took a second glance at her.  She was all decked-out; light-up shoes, a Mudd back-pack, and a Finding Nemo lunch box, carrying what looked to me like a Disney Princess notebook.  My heart fell a little.
I really like college, only three hours a day in school, waking-up early but getting out at like ten and having the rest of your day to get things  done.  It's pretty nice.
But now here I was, headed to work, while she went home to watch cartoons and fight over the best pieces of furniture for her barbie house with her sisters.  I remember being that little.
I didn't feel old, but almost immediately I became aware of time. Ten, maybe eleven years ago I was that little girl.  Trading gell-pens on the playground and eating glue just because someone dared me too.  Back when my homework assignments were crafts and coloring, not two hour geology lectures and college algebra.
I'll admit... I'm not fully grown-up.  As I sit here I can tell you that there are crayons spewed all over my desk, and my keyboard is sitting on top of a brightly-colored Tinker Bell folder.  However, I am old enough to be aware of how young I can no longer be and act (in public at least.)
I wanted to pull over and tell her to have fun, to enjoy freedom from responsibilities and worries.  To put-off growing up as long as she can.  That these are her days to dream, imagine, and believe that anything is possible.
I thought about this all the way to work... I left for work at two thirty, and arrived at two forty.  It's supposed to take me thirty minutes to get to work.
I wonder if that little girl will ever  grow-up to be be as bad of a driver as I am.