The Wheels on the Bus

I have not made a big to do about one of my accomplishments...I was waiting for the perfect time. And today was the day. This summer...I studied and took my Bus Driver's Test. I learned about all kinds of manly things...wheel cams, drum brakes, convex mirrors... and the like. The general knowledge test is 50 questions pulled from a 500 question pool-you can miss 10 and pass- I missed 8. Thank the Lord! I took a week and studied for the airbrake portion of the test and I passed it with flying colors. I had a bunch of people tell me that test was a doozy...umm it was whole bunch of questions about psi and that kind of stuff. Then I went to Bus School. It was a four hour class about the parts of a bus, a video about railroad crossings, and an eye test.

Then it was time for the driving...well having never sat in a bus driver's seat I was a bit nervous...but it wasn't that bad...after a test drive on the highway I was ready for my real test....The backing up was easy...no cones hit- The driving forward easy...no cones hit- The dock parking...um not so good...hit two cones- they could have been people but they were cones. The man giving the test was super nice and told me to be proud because most coaches have to get out and realign themselves over and over again..and I didn't even have to do it.

All this background to tell you that I am now the proud owner of a CDL- yep Commercial Driver's License. That means I have can drive a school bus, big church bus, even a charter bus, just can't drive a semi, but I won't say I will never be able to...might just get that add on next summer...or maybe not.

All school year I have dodged having to drive a bus. I laugh and walk away quickly when they say they need a driver. I made it through the first school trip easily enough and had decided getting my CDL was a waste...since I might never use it. Only I didn't get to weasel away last Friday. Oh yes, loaded with only one other teacher who would put her students on my bus with my class I drove children and teachers to Pontotoc's DownTown. Sounds scary right? Well, it was. Ok so I took the kids a fourth of a mile from school parked walked them all over downtown and brought them back. I left the bus parked in one area all day and dared someone to complain about it. I even took the key with me afraid that one of the bus shop boys would pull a prank on me and move the bus...

Me driving a bus entertained many of the teachers. One teacher would walk by and just laugh at the thought of me driving...others took pictures. I had told my students on Thursday night to go home get on their knees and pray we would stay safe. My principal texted me about a late student in the middle of the first stop on the field trip and I told him where I had to park and ask if that was okay...and replied...we'll see....oh no so I told him to get Jesus on the main line and pray the first time I drove my bus didn't get towed...

We made it through the day. I had even had a dream I tipped the bus on Main Street and at the very intersection it happened I prayed quickly and all wheels stayed on the ground. Thank the LORD. And people think there is no prayer in schools..as long as I'm teaching/driving my school day will be bathed in prayer. Hope this made y'all laugh and happy trails. If this summer you see a curly haired girl be-boppin down the interstate in a charter look twice it could be me