I Caught The Bus

Our city's school district just completed another calendar year. Hats off to all the teachers and school personnel who survived another year in the trenches. As a former teacher I know the sense of exhausted accomplishment that happens when teachers close down a classroom and finalize the last of the paperwork.

I also know that summer is not just a time of relaxation for teachers. Attending district meetings, developing lesson plans, organizing science departments (I was a science teacher) and deep cleaning classrooms are just a few of the tasks that need to be done before a new year begins. Anything that can be done before the crazy pressure cooker starts up again is always a good idea. I often lamented while I was teaching that I felt like I was chasing a bus that had left a month ago.

I am now happy to report that after thirty-one years of teaching and several years of retirement I finally caught the bus! After I retired I started waving at any school bus that I saw driving by my house as an acknowledgement of their dedicated service. A couple of months ago I noticed that an early morning bus (6:41 a.m. to be precise) was honking its horn when it went by. As I paid closer attention, I noticed the driver was waving back at me. Thus began a mutual waving that has continued until this week, the last week of school.

When I shared this information with my husband, he gave me his kind but skeptical look. His thought bubble said, "You are delusional. How can a bus driver see you waving while you are sitting on the couch?" I insisted that it was not only possible but it was indeed happening. I made it my mission to prove that it was true and the only way to do that was to meet the bus driver. How to do so? Start stalking the bus and find out where it stopped for pick-ups.

Day one I followed the bus and took note of its stops. Day two I baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Day three I packed up some cookies with a thank-you note and started walking to one of the bus stops. When the bus stopped, I knocked on the door and a puzzled driver opened the creaking door. I stepped on the bus and asked, "Are you the driver who waves at the crazy lady who lives down the street?" The bus driver burst out laughing and confessed that she was the one. I told her I was the crazy lady and I just had to meet her before the school year finished.

We enjoyed a few moments of conversation and I handed her the cookies and thanked her for her dedicated service. Bus drivers are on tight schedules so she needed to keep rolling. As she took off she gave me one more honk and a wave.

I don't know if she will be running my route next year but I will continue to wave at school busses. And I will always have the satisfaction of finally catching one.