“The Lost Art”

What we have gained in the age of technology has been at the expense of the beauty of the written word.  Thx 2 IM we can hurriedly say, “wuzup girl, <3 u.” Where is the beauty and grace?  Jane Austen said it like this, "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."  Thank goodness there are romantics that continue to strive to weave the tapestry of the written word.  A third grader said, “Mr. Brandon, I’ve written a love letter to my girlfriend.  Tell me what you think.”  As he spoke I was moved by words of passion.  “I am so sorry that I stood you up at the dance.  I have thought about it and have decided to give you a second chance.  Do you love me?  Check yes or no.”  When he receives his response I believe the words that he will be looking for have already been penned by Alfred Lord Tennyson, "'Tis better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all."

“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.”

"Culinary Arts"

He was most defiantly a man of his word.  The day before he said he was going to bake some cookies and that he would bring me some.  So I was not at all surprised when he boarded the bus and asked, “Mr. Brandon do you want a sample of my cookies?”  “Sure,” I said not being one to turn down a good home made cookie, even if it was 6:30 in the morning.  He reached in his book bag and I anticipated the usual plastic baggie with some cookies in it.  They say that one eats first with the eyes.  This being true, this was a dessert fit for the blind.  He pulled his little pudgy fist from a pocket on his book bag, stuck it in front of me, opening it to reveal a wad of what appeared to be chocolate chip cookie.  A flash of one hundred food born illnesses passed through my mind as I placed the lump in my mouth.  I was quite surprised.  His genius of presentation was realized, he knew that the warmth and moister of the hand would give it that fresh from the oven taste.  He then passed out samples to several other children that were seated around him.  Everyone was in agreement that the cookie wads were delicious.  With the approval of his taste testers he then revealed the recipe and cooking technic.  Buy at Food Value, turn oven to 350 degrees and don’t lick your fingers while you’re cooking.

"If You Give Them A Break"

If you give a parent a break
As you're driving down the road
And give them a few extra minutes
While you're picking up your load

Then tomorrow as you circle
Once more around the block
They'll need a few more minutes
Because they can't find a sock

The next thing you know
They're just getting out of bed
And when you get to school
Can you make sure they're fed

Later that evening
As you take their child home
Make sure they get through the door
And they're not left alone

If there are no cars there
There's no one home no doubt
Could they ride the bus
To the end of the route

If it's not to much trouble
Make sure they have a snack
Could you find the book they lost
And put it in their pack

Clean up when they get sick
Don't make them walk in rain or cold
Let them off at their friend's house
Or anywhere you're told

The first day you miss their child
Because he was hiding behind the trees
They'll call transportation
As pretty as you please

That sorry old bus driver
So the story goes
Was driving 80 miles an hour
As he went down our road

He flew right past our house
Wearing an evil frown
Ran over the neighbor's dog
And never even slowed down

The moral to this story
Is quite simply this
Go off and leave them the first day
And get the call over with