Dear Teacher Behind the Wheel,
There is truly nothing that thrills a teacher's soul more than the stroke of three o' clock and the sight of the first big, yellow bus pulling into the school parking lot.
It's a visual cue that somebody, anybody is coming to get these youngins. For this liberation, we thank you, and we salute you. We know your job is just as hard as ours, maybe even harder.
Yes, we have them for longer, but we aren't hauling them around in 26,000 pounds of metal. We also aren't stopping at every railroad crossing, managing flailing hands out of windows, or trying to keep our eyes permanently fixed on the highway while dodging road construction, head lice, and vomit.
For these reasons, the cheesewagon is our dear friend. She's heard and seen some unimaginable things. I know I rode one for 12 years of my life. Her owner has also graciously shared a few tales with me.
My favorite one is about the boy who finally worked up the courage to ask his bus driver if she wanted one of his school day pictures. "You wan..wann...want... a sch--- school... day picture of me, Mrs. Brown?" he asked in a stuttering whisper. Of course she did. Imagine her delight the next day when he came bounding up the steps with a wide grin and an 8x10 portrait for her to hang on her fridge.
I can't remember if he was related to the boy who brought her a different piece of his Momma's nativity scene each day leading up to Christmas break, but they certainly seemed to be cut from the same piece of cloth.
She's also quite a fan of the kindergarten boy who wants to make sure he arrives home safely the first day, so he clarifies the directions by letting her know he lives on the silver street and his house is the one with a mailbox.
Thank goodness for directions.
Maybe, they are similar to our thoughts on how to pull ourselves out of a global pandemic. Oh we've got wonderful tips for our governors, state leaders, even the CDC. If they would only listen to our vague directions, all would be fine.
These days I am not even sure who's driving this bus, but I know we're all on it. Daily, it feels like we are driving around in circles going nowhere fast.
At this point, I don't care who's driving or how we get there. I just want the driver to take me home, back to a place that feels normal and safe.
What about you?
-CDB