We take the bus into school most mornings and pretty much every evening, unless we miss it and then we walk home breathing in all the goodness of fall (tonight I smelt my first fire of the season, the air was crispy and the woody mossy smell of logs crackling, was dancing through the air as we waited at our stop).
As we stand at our stop in the morning, our breath clinging in puffs before us, it is quiet, tranquil. Everyone around us still seems to be asleep just running on auto-pilot. The bus driver turns up, and as we are stepping on board he has our tickets printed already a few cheery "Good Mornings" and we take our seats.
You see the same people, a little nod and smile to some, others don't care to be bothered. The bus is quiet, there is no talking, everyone appears to be mentally preparing themselves for the day ahead.
This, however, is not the case on the afternoon bus. Our bus driver is not a happy camper by any means, I greet her with a friendly "Hello!" and get either grunts or no acknowledgement in reply. She usually has a terse word with someone over nothing and she drives like a maniac.
It is like being on a rollercoaster ride, today my stomach was doing flips by the time we got home, from all the twisting and turning and short stopping and almost hitting people, animals, cars. I just hold my breath.
We have been back at school for two weeks now and she has not changed, her attitude seems to be stuck to her like glue, but I refuse to bend! I will continue to be as cheery as always and continue to tell her "Hello!" whether she likes it or not!
As Anne of Green Gables said, "I refuse to be poisoned by your bitterness!" and I think that can also go for being jaded. I refuse to be jaded by someone because they have a sour disposition about the world. I have my own thoughts, beliefs, dreams and I refuse to let them be destroyed by someone who has no imagination. Because to have no imagination must be the most unhappiest of existences I could dream of!
Whew! Ok, hold on...I am stepping down now and putting my soapbox away...
