I like to think of myself as very open-minded; that I treat everyone warmly and with care. I got schooled today.
I met someone who taught me that the people who do the everyday jobs I may take for granted are real people with real lives.
Let me back up to 6th grade. We had a school bus driver named Tom who was the devil incarnate. He was so evil that he wouldn't let us off the bus until he checked every seat for trash and made us CLEAN UP OUR OWN MESS! Inconceivable! That began my lifelong mindset that bus drivers are ogres who live for destroying little kids. (This was reminded to me this year when my own 6th grade son came home and reported that his bus driver has a SEATING CHART! Gasp!)
I took my students on a hiking field trip today and my best friend Wendy sent over her best bus driver (she helps run an elementary school.) In the front rows of the bus (because the nerdy teachers are forced to the front) my friends Robin and Teresa and I were having random conversations about belly dancing and knee surgery. Our bus driver (funny, she didn't look like an ogre...she was actually quite beautiful!) chimed in with her very valuable thoughts on our conversations. Erika. Erika was talking to us like she was a mom, with kids and everything!
When we arrived at the trailhead, Erika mentioned that she was going to stay with the bus, but I convinced her that she'd have more fun with us and she eagerly joined the hike.
At the top of the mountain, we chatted with Erika and I found that we had a lot in common...and she reads! An ogre, I mean, bus driver who reads? I now love bus drivers, thanks to Erika.
Amazing.
I met someone who taught me that the people who do the everyday jobs I may take for granted are real people with real lives.
Let me back up to 6th grade. We had a school bus driver named Tom who was the devil incarnate. He was so evil that he wouldn't let us off the bus until he checked every seat for trash and made us CLEAN UP OUR OWN MESS! Inconceivable! That began my lifelong mindset that bus drivers are ogres who live for destroying little kids. (This was reminded to me this year when my own 6th grade son came home and reported that his bus driver has a SEATING CHART! Gasp!)
I took my students on a hiking field trip today and my best friend Wendy sent over her best bus driver (she helps run an elementary school.) In the front rows of the bus (because the nerdy teachers are forced to the front) my friends Robin and Teresa and I were having random conversations about belly dancing and knee surgery. Our bus driver (funny, she didn't look like an ogre...she was actually quite beautiful!) chimed in with her very valuable thoughts on our conversations. Erika. Erika was talking to us like she was a mom, with kids and everything!
When we arrived at the trailhead, Erika mentioned that she was going to stay with the bus, but I convinced her that she'd have more fun with us and she eagerly joined the hike.
At the top of the mountain, we chatted with Erika and I found that we had a lot in common...and she reads! An ogre, I mean, bus driver who reads? I now love bus drivers, thanks to Erika.
Amazing.
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