I've seen a fair amount of advertising and commentary on how you don't need intelligence to be a mother, or a father. The only criteria is a decent libido, the proper working parts and no contraceptives. Yesterday this was brought into sharp relief for me.

I was traveling on NH Rte 124. It was a bright, spring afternoon. New Ipswich center was behind me and Sharon center was before me. There's a long hill before I take the Rte 123 turn off towards my house.

I was motoring up the hill, I saw two slightly over weight young woman pushing baby strollers. At first I thought, how wonderful, the young mothers are out strolling the babies and getting some exercise.

Then I thought, gee, this road is a tough road to go strolling on. It's a typical New Hampshire secondary road. It's a two lane job. The shoulders are usually a gravel sand mix and there is very little space to walk, let alone push a stroller. Toss in the tough winter and many of the shoulders are eroded. The speed limit is posted at 50, but most folks push 55 or more.

The two mothers were walking side by side. Traffic had to move around them.

Then it occurred to me. They are on the wrong side of the road. They were walking with the traffic, not against it. They could not see if a car couldn't see them! The chances of getting hit is dramatically increased. It is one thing to be reckless with yourself, but the babies?! What were these mothers thinking?!

I surmised they were too lazy or too uneducated or too arrogant to know better. I felt sorry the babies. I imagined how much the wee tots would never learn from their bimbo mamas. And what they would learn would be stuff they would have to relearn later in life.

Perhaps it is time for bimbo mamas to get learning permits or how-to manuals.