“A Moment In Time”

The loud buzz of an emergency alarm called my attention to the rear of the bus. There are alarms on all of the emergency escape windows and it is not unusual when a student stands up for their book bag to pull on the handle and set it off.  As I look back that appeared to be exactly what had happened. “Zoomer, sit down and push that handle back down also.”  He looked around rather confused and with the help of some fellow passengers the handle was pushed back down and the ear piercing alarm was finally silenced. All of this was followed with me saying, “Who is passing out the balloons? Let the air out of them and put them up.”  As I finish closing the carnival I hear, “One, two, three, action.” My attention is now drawn to a student that is wearing a camouflaged ski mask and he has started what appears to be a movie scene.  His next line is, “I have a machete and I know how to use it.”  He then turns to me and says, “This is where I say a curse word.” “No” was my response. “But I heard it on T.V.” “No, I don’t care if you did hear it on T.V. it’s not ok to say.”  I said it in such a way as to let him know it was not a suggestion. He understood because he said, “We better wrap it up guys the old man looks like he’s about to lose it.”  All of this happened in a matter of a few minutes.  There were discussions later that revolved around Jesse James and how you probably could ask Mr. Brandon about him I think they were good friends.  Then there was the conversation about how you didn’t always have to be cool.  That conversation had a line in it, “Take Mr. Brandon for example.” Then there was a question of whether or not I was a little bit crazy.  If I come away just a little bit crazy then it was a successful day.