I was very surprised last week when I received a 10-year anniversary posting. It was a photo of the bus I drove during my years at Beech Grove City Schools. It was Bus #5, and her name was “Ursula”. The school had taken a picture of “Ursula” and the students that rode with her and me that year.
I had a very difficult time believing that it had been 10 years. I remember that last day very well. For several years, my bus riders had been extremely bothered when they noticed a bug or spider on the bus. Spiders were the ones that caused loud screams from students.
I came up with a plan and the next occasion a spider caused a disruption on the bus, I quickly explained that it was a spider friend, and his name was Steve. For several years after that, if a spider was noticed on the bus. It was probably Steve.
After I parked “Ursula” for the last time on that final day of school for that year, a spider lowered itself out the driver’s side window into the parking lot. Steve and I had retired at the very same time.
I thought about kids that had just finished first grade that year would be in high school now. I decided to repost that special picture for my friends on Facebook to see and enjoy also. I’m still connected with lots of those students that I drove to school each day.
Shortly after my posting, I began to receive responses. Very heart-warming responses. Family members, Beech Grove school staff, many of my former riders and even a couple of riders that I drove to Edgewood Grade School several years earlier.