“A Blessing in the Discarded”

If the bus was a game show the most often played game would be “Guess the Bus Driver’s Age”.  The general consensus from the younger crowd up front has been ninety-seven.  This on some days feels right in the ballpark.  On one such day different ages were being discussed and the question was asked if the first bus I drove was pulled by horses.  A young man came to my defense and wanted to say, “Mr. Brandon, I hope you live a long time.”  That was not what came out. What he ended up saying was, “Mr. Brandon, I hope you live the rest of your life.”  The more I thought about it, the more it reminded me of the story of Robinson Crusoe.  No, not the obvious, a bus driver’s every day struggle for survival in a harsh and unfriendly environment.  Robinson Crusoe inventories what supplies that he has, taking in account each item and how it may aid in his survival on this uninhabited island.  He examines a small bag of grain hoping it contains something that is eatable, only to find that the contents have already been fouled by rats. Greatly disappointed he then discards the contents on the ground and keeps the bag for a possible storage container.  Months pass and Robinson Crusoe finds stalks of grain growing in the very spot where he had deposited the seemingly useless contents of the bag.  It is the beginning of a far greater blessing than a quick meal; it is a crop that he will propagate.  It will be a sustaining source of bread for the many years that he is marooned on the island.  I discarded what the young man had said as a funny mix up of words only to discover that the more I thought about it the more I realized I hoped I lived the rest of my life also.  I don’t know what there is in this life that you think is living, but never settle on just existing.  It’s never too late to make a difference, not only in your life but in the lives of those around you and “Live the rest of your life.”